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HISTORY MUSi
04 SEP 20
PURCHASl i.
THING LIBRA?
Vol 7 No 2 September 2000
Bulletin of the African Bird Club
Records from
Gambela, Ethiopia
Peregrine/Barbary
Falcon complex
in Morocco
Breeding biology
of several species
in north-west
Africa
fishing owls in
Agenebode,
Nigeria
Lesser Flamingo
breeding in
Mauritania
Banded Kestrel
behaviour in
Madagascar
Sad story of
Alaotra Grebe
Glossy Starlings
field ID
Kakamega Forest
schools project
African Broadbill
range extension
ISSN 1 352-481 X
African
The African Bird Club aims to:
provide a worldwide focus for African ornithology
encourage an interest in the conservation of the
birds of the region
liaise with and promote the work of existing
regional societies
publish a twice-yearly colour bulletin
encourage observers to visit lesser known areas
of the region
encourage observers to actively search for globally
threatened and near-threatened species
develop a Conservation Research Fund
Registered Charity No 1053920
ABC Web site
http :/ /www. africanbirdclub . org
Bird Club
ABC Council
Phil Atkinson (Chairman), Keith Betton, Richard Butler, Mark
Catterall, Stan Davies, Roy Hargreaves, Moira Hargreaves,
Gordon Holtshausen, Paul Lascelles, Rob Lucking. Bill
Quantrill (Secretary), Alan Williams (Treasurer) and John
Wyatt. President: Martin Woodcock
Bulletin Editorial Team
Guy Kirwan (Managing Editor), Mark Andrews, Phil Atkinson.
Mark Cocker, Ron Demey, Lincoln Fishpool, Peter Lack, Rob
Lucking, Rodney Martins, Roger Safford and Richard Webb.
Membership of the ABC
Membership of the ABC is open to all and costs, per annum,
UK<£15 Individual (Africa & Europe), UKA17 Individual (Rest
of the World), UK£18 Family ( Africa & Europe ), UK£20
Family (Rest of the World), UK£8 Student (Africa & Europe),
UK£10 Student (Rest of the World), UK£25 Libraries/Institu-
tions, UK£25 minimum Supporting Member , or UK£300 Life
Member. To join or for further details please write to the
Membership Secretary, African Bird Club, c/o BirdLife Inter-
national, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ONA,
UK.
The Bulletin of the African Bird Club
The Bulletin of the ABC provides a forum for news, letters,
notices, recent publications, preliminary expedition results,
reviews and preliminary or interim publication of studies on
African birds by contributors from all parts of the world.
Publication of interim results in the Bulletin of the ABC does
not preclude publication of final results as journal papers
either by the ABC or elsewhere. No material should, however,
be submitted simultaneously to the Bulletin of the ABC and to
any other publication.
Notes for Contributors
The ABC welcomes original contributions on all aspects of the
birds of Africa. Africa is here defined as the area covered by
Collar, N.J. & Stuart, S.N. 1985. Threatened birds of Africa and
related islands: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book, Part 1. Cam-
bridge: International Council for Bird Preservation, namely
continental Africa, Indian Ocean islands west of 80°E, eg
Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands and Socotra; Atlantic Ocean
islands on or east of the mid-Atlantic ridge, eg the Tristan da
Cunha group, the Azores and the Canaries.
Contributions will be accepted subject to editing and
refereeing by independent referees, where appropriate. The
material published is divided into Papers, Short Notes, News &
Comment, Discoveries, Reviews, Literature Gleanings, Recent
Reports and Letters. The Editorial Team will be happy to advise
authors on the acceptability of material at draft stage if desired.
Submissions
Two copies of contributions should be submitted. Typewritten
manuscripts should have double-spaced lines, on one side of
the paper only, with wide margins all round. Clear handwritten
manuscripts are also acceptable. All submissions will be
acknowledged.
Contributions will be accepted in English or French:
French summaries, as well as table and figure captions, will be
printed for all major papers published in English, and vice
versa. Those submitting major papers should supply a summary
for translation into English, or French, as appropriate.
If possible, please submit your contribution on floppy
disk and state computer (eg IBM compatible PC, Macintosh)
and word-processing package (eg Word, WordPerfect) used:
please note that Amstrad PCW disks are not acceptable.
When you send your contribution on disk, please do not
key anything in ALL CAPS (ie with the CAPS LOCK key
depressed) unless the combination always occurs in that form
(eg ‘USA’). Do not use the carriage return key at the end of
lines, and do not right justify the margins. When formatting
tables use one tab, and not spaces, between each column.
Please always send two hard (printed) copies in addition.
Preferred names
With the current instability over worldwide lists of bird names,
authors are requested to follow those used in Birds of Africa
Vols 1-5. For species not yet covered, please use appropriate
regional handbooks and checklists eg Roberts for Southern
Africa, Zimmerman etal for East Africa and Dowsett & Forbes-
Watson for all non Birds of Africa species, eg from the
Malagasy region. Deviation from such works should be noted
and the reasons given. The Editorial Team will keep abreast of
changes in nomenclature and when an agreed list of African
names is available, will consider switching to follow it.
Unless a sketch map is provided as part of the article, the
names of places should, if possible, follow those on standard
or readily available maps.
(continued inside back cover...)
©2000 Copyright African Bird Club and contributors. Quotations should carry a full acknowledgement. No part etc may be
reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written permission of the Club or authors.
Contents
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2
News & Comment Features
86 Club News
Compiled by Paul Lascelles
89 Minutes of Sixth AGM
90 Advertising rates
91 ABC Conservation
Programme
92 Africa Round-up
Compiled by Ron Demey and Guy
Kirwan
96 Requests for Information
106 Conservation Fund Update
132 Discoveries
A nest of Grey-necked
Picathartes Picathartes oreas
constructed on a tree
Matthias Waltert and Michael
Muhlenberg
Red-tailed Greenbul Criniger
calurus and Chestnut-breasted
Negrofinch Nigrita bicolor, new
to Benin
Maarten van den Akker
African Swallow-tailed Kite
Chelictinia riocourii breeding in
the Saloum Delta, Senegal
R.E. Brasseur
141 Photospot
Star-spotted Nightjar
Michael Mills and Claire
Spottiswoode
144 Recent Reports
Compiled by Ron Demey
152 Reviews
1 53 Letters
97
101
104
107
109
111
115
119
128
135
Records from Gambela, western Ethiopia
Claire Spottiswoode and Michael Mills
Taxonomy of the Peregrine Falco peregrinus / Barbary
Falcon F. ( peregrinus ) pelegrinoides complex in
Morocco
Valery Schollaert and Gilles Willem
Notes on the breeding biology of several species in
north-west Africa
Peter Castell
Fishing owls at Agenebode, Nigeria
Anthony Turk
Suspected breeding of Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias
minor in Mauritania
Olivier Hamerlynck and Brahim ould Messaoud
Behaviour of Banded Kestrel Falco zoniventris in
western Madagascar: a possible foraging association
with Sickle-billed Vanga Falculea palliata
Ruth E. Tingay and Martin Gilbert
The sad story of Alaotra Grebe Tachybaptus rufolavatus
Frank Hawkins, Rado Andriamasimanana, Sam The Seing
and Zarine Raheony
Identifying glossy starlings in the field
Adrian Craig
Kakamega Forest: a living classroom for the growing
generation
Solomon Mwangi
Range extension of African Broadbill Smithornis
capensis into Soutpansberg, Northern Province,
South Africa
C.T. Symes and M.R. Perrin
Front cover plate
Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes oreas by Mark Andrews
Illustrations
Mark Andrews, Nik Borrow, Craig Robson, Colin Towe
Photographs
Peter Castell, W.S. Clark, Olivier Hamerlynck, A.P. Leventis. Michael
Mills, Solomon Ngari, Claire Spottiswoode, Craig Symes. Paul
Thompson, Anthony Turk, Maarten van den Akker. Johan Verbauck,
Matthias Waltert
Bui! ABC Vo! 7 No 2 - 85
Club News
Anyone with information they feel
would be of interest to the member-
ship for publication in Club News
should send it to the Club Secretary or
by e-mail to:
paullascelles@hotmail.com
The Whitley 2000 International
Conservation Awards
On 10 December 1999, Fleur Ng’weno,
an ABC member in Kenya, was short-
listed for the Whitley Award Scheme
for International Nature Conservation.
Fleur has become a prominent figure
in Kenyan conservation, having led
bird walks around Nairobi for almost
30 years. She has also been
campaigning to establish a biodiversity
park on the city’s outskirts. This is the
world’s largest conservation award,
with UK£200,000 being made available
each session in five awards, ranging
from UK£5,000 to UK£50,000. Fleur
was short-listed from the applications
of 68 conservationists worldwide. The
awards are administered by the Royal
Geographic Society, e-mail:
grants@rgs.org.
PAOC
The Club has sponsored two full and
one student place at the Pan-African
Ornithological Congress this
September, for Council members to
represent and promote the Club
throughout the event. Also, UK£2,500
will be made available to support the
presence of African nationals,
including those presenting papers and
posters at the congress.
ABC membership
Club membership is again projected at
cl, 300 members in 2000, with 187
currently not renewed. If you have not
already done so, please re-subscribe
for 2000, or 2001, by completing and
returning the membership renewal
form enclosed with this bulletin.
Supported and affiliated
membership
The Supporting Members scheme is a
key part of the Club’s strategy of
encouraging the spread of knowledge
and understanding of birds as widely
as possible throughout Africa. The
scheme enables Africans who would
not otherwise have the resources to
join, to become members of the Club.
The scheme is funded by Supporting
Members who pay a minimum of
UK£25 to cover their own membership
and the subscription of at least one
African member. The money they
contribute over and above their own
subscription is placed in a special fund
that is used to cover the membership
expenses of African members whom
they may have nominated, or who
have been nominated by other Club
members.
Although we have suggested a
minimum of UK£25 to become a
Supporting Member, any contribution
is welcome. All members of the Club,
even if they do not feel able to
become Supporting Members
themselves, are invited to nominate
candidates for supported
memberships. Candidates should be
nationals of an African country, with a
genuine interest in wild birds but
without the resources to become
members in their own right. African
who think they may qualify are very
welcome to put their own names
forward, supported by a letter of
recommendation from someone such
as their employer, teacher or an
officeholder in a local wildlife
organisation.
The scheme now also includes
Clubs who wish to be affiliated with
the African Bird Club in African
countries where it is difficult for local
individuals to become members in
their own right. Clubs accepted for
membership under the scheme receive
up to six copies of each issue of the
bulletin for circulation among their
members. Instead of paying a
membership fee, Clubs are asked to
provide a short annual report on their
activities that may be published in the
bulletin. Clubs interested in becoming
Affiliated Member Clubs are invited to
apply to the ABC Secretary giving
details of their membership, their
constitution or a statement of their
objectives and conditions of their
membership, and their activities to
date.
ABC e-mailing list
With our membership scattered in
over 60 countries, e-mail provides a
quick, convenient and inexpensive
means of maintaining contact with our
members. We now have e-mail
addresses for c33% of the
membership, but are sure there are
many other members' addresses are
not in the Club’s records. If you have
not already done so, please let the
Club Secretary know your e-mail
address by contacting
wquantrill@msn.com. At the same
time, please let the Secretary know if
you are willing for your address to be
added to the general Club mailing list.
As well as using e-mail to
communicate with members
individually, a general Club mailing list
has been compiled, used for sending
messages to the membership
collectively. The addresses on this list
are confidential and not divulged to
any outside individual or organisation,
and will not be used for commercial
purposes. Members are welcome to
use this list to circulate their own
requests for information or advice,
identification queries etc, but not, of
course, to send commercial messages.
If you have a query or request that you
would like to address to the
membership please let the Secretary
know, either by e-mail at the address
given above, or if you do not have e-
mail, by post to the Club’s usual postal
address.
ABC information service
ABC offers a service to help members
with information requests. Perhaps
you are planning a trip to Africa and
need local advice, or maybe you are in
search of an obscure fact about an
African species. The Club does not
guarantee to find all the answers but
will try to help. The service is free to
ABC members. Contact: Keith Betton,
who is also cutodian of ABC’s journal
library, at 8 Dukes Close, Folly Hill,
Farnham, Surrey, GU9 ODR, UK. Tel:
+44 1252 724068. Fax: +44 171 637
5626. E-mail: kbetton@abta.co.uk.
86 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Club News
ABC Representatives Scheme
Due to an increased workload, Vicki
Lucking has been forced to hand-over
the scheme's reins to Paul Lascelles.
The current listing of ABC
Representatives contains a number of
amendments to that found in the
previous bulletin.
Australia: K. David Bishop, P O Box
6068, Kincumber, NSW 2251. E-mail:
kdbishop@ozemail.au.
Austria: Remo Probst, Radetzystr. 21/
11, A- 1030, Vienna. E-mail:
a8960178@unet.univie.ac. at.
Belgium: Tan Goosens, Vmntebaan 18,
2520 Emblem. Tel/fax: +32 3 488 13
71. E-mail: azv@glo.be.
Botswana: Chris Brewster,
Mataschekge Hill School, Private Bag
24, Bobonong. Tel: 819272.
Fax: 819544.
Cameroon: O'Kah Ebwekoh Monya,
Mount Cameroon Project, P O Box
437, Limbe.
Canada: Antonio Salvadori, 17
Colborn Street, Guelph, Ontario. NIG
2M4. E-mail:
rosella@snowhite.cis.uoguelph.ca.
Canary Islands/Spain: Tony Clarke
c/o Republica Dominicana, No 6l,
Barrio de Fatima, 38500 Guimar,
Tenerife. E-mail: clark@arrakis.es.
Cote d’Ivoire: Olivier Lachenaud,
CIRAD, 01 BP 6483, Abidjan 01. E-
mail: lachenaud@cirad.fr.
Denmark: Lars Dinesen,
Sjallandsgade, 37, 3 tv, 2200
Copenhagen N. Tel/Fax: 35367164. E-
mail: regulus@inet.unic.dk.
Egypt: Sherif and Mindy Baha El Din,
2 Abdalla El Katib St. Apt. 3, Dokki,
Cairo. Tel/Fax: 3608160. E-mail:
103257.1554@compuserve.com.
Ethiopia: Ato Mengistu Wondafrash,
Ethiopian IBA Program, Ethiopian
Wildlife and Natural History Society, P
O Box 60074 Adis Ababa.
France: Bob & Franfoise Dowsett, 12
rue des Lavandes, Ganges, F-34190. E-
mail: Dowsett@aol.com.
Finland: Annika Forsten,
Messenniusgatan 11 B 54, 00250
Helsingfors, Finland. E-mail:
annika.forsten@intrum.com.
Gabon: Patrice Christy, BP 2240,
Libreville. Fax: c/o ECOFAC, 775534.
Ghana: Samuel Kofi Nyame, Ghana
Wildlife Society, PO Box 13252 Accra,
Hungary: Akos Hivekovics, 10 Zrinyi
Street, H-8756 Nagerecse. E-mail:
tacshun@elender.hu .
Italy: Giuseppe Micali, Via Savona 71,
Milano, MI 1-20144. E-mail:
GMicali@USCCMAIL.bms.com.
Kenya: Colin Jackson, PO Box 383,
Watamu. E-mail:
CJJacko@bigfoot.com.
Madagascar: Lily-Arison Rene de
Roland, The Peregrine Fund, BP 4113,
Antananarivo 101. Tel: +26l 20 22
21546. E-mail: Pfundmad@dts.mg.
Morocco: Jacques Franchimont, Dept
Biologie Faculte des Sciences de
Meknes, B P 4010, Beni M’Hamed
50003, Meknes. E-mail:
j . franchimont @ extra . net . ma .
Namibia: Chris Hines, PO Box 22527,
Windhoek.
Nigeria: Dr Vincent Ejere, Dept, of
Zoology, University of Nigeria,
Nsukka. E-mail: ijay@infoweb.abs.net.
Seychelles: Adrian Skerrett, Shipping
House, PO Box 336, Victoria, Mahe.
Fax: 322978. E-mail:
maheship@seychelles.net or
askerret@uk.packardbell.org.
Tanzania: Maurus Musha, PO Box
70919, Dar es Salaam.
The Gambia: Clive Barlow, The
Atlantic Hotel, PO Box 269, Banjul.
Fax: 227861.
Uganda: Prof. Derek Pomeroy,
Makerere University Institute of the
Environment and Natural Resources,
PO Box 7298, Kampala.
USA (West coast): Joe Thompson, 222
South Figueroa St, Apt. 1922, Los
Angeles, CA90012, USA. E-mail:
Joseph.C.Thompson@kp.org.
Zambia: Pete Leonard, PO Box
630025, Choma. FAX: 032 20621. E-
mail: pleonard@zamnet.zm.
Zimbabwe: Librarian, Birdlife
Zimbabwe, PO Box CY l6l,
Causeway. E-mail: birds@zol.co.zw.
The ABC Representatives scheme aims
to support existing members by
providing a local point of contact in
their region, for example, to answer
queries to the Club, to solicit
submissions for the bulletin, and
possibly to arrange local meetings for
members. Existing ABC members can
contact their local Representative in
the first instance with queries relating
to the Club. ABC Representatives help
to recruit new members in their
region, for example, by distributing
posters and arranging local
advertising. In Africa, ABC
Representatives help to identify
opportunities to invest the ABC
Conservation Fund and candidates for
the Supported Membership scheme.
The Club aims to appoint many
further ABC Representatives. If you are
interested in supporting and
promoting the Club in your region,
have any queries, or require further
information relating to the ABC
Representatives scheme please do not
hesitate to contact Paul Lascelles. E-
mail: paullascelles@hotmail.com, or
write to 1 Glasgoego Farmhouse,
Kinellar, Aberdeen, AB21 ORY, UK.
ABC sales items
The following items are currently
available from ABC Sales.
1. ABC Sweatshirt featuring an
embroidered ABC logo and
‘African Bird Club Working for
Birds in Africa’; black, navy or
bottle-green. Sizes: medium, large,
extra-large and extra-extra large:
UK<£20.
2. Old-style ABC Polo shirt featuring
an embroidered ABC logo and
‘African Bird Club. Working for
Birds in Africa’, forest-green. Sizes:
small and medium only: UK£6.50.
3. New-style ABC Polo shirt featuring
an embroidered ABC logo and
‘African Bird Club. Working for
Birds in Africa’, bottle-green, navy-
blue and black. Sizes: large,
extra-large and extra-extra-large
only: UK£13.50.
4. New ABC T-shirt featuring Bush
Shrikes by Dave Nurney, grey.
Sizes: large, extra-large and extra-
extra-large only: UK£13.50.
5. ABC T-shirt featuring African
Rollers by Mark Andrews, white.
Sizes: large and extra large: UK<£9.
6. ABC T-shirt featuring Turacos,
white. Sizes: extra large only:
UK£9-
7. ABC caps featuring an
embroidered ABC logo, black,
bottle green, red, maroon and
navy: UK£7.
8. ABC enamel badge featuring a
Slender-billed Curlew design:
UK£1.
9. ABC car and telescope stickers:
UK£1.
10. ABC bone-china mugs: 2 designs
featuring Carmine Bee-eater or
Golden-breasted Starlings by
Martin Woodcock: UK£7 or UK£12
a pair.
1 1 . Pen, printed with ‘African Bird
Club’ and ABC logo: UK£0.25
12. Pencil, printed with ‘African Bird
Club’ and ABC logo: UK£0.15.
13. White-winged Apalis A4 colour
print by Nik Borrow from Bull.
ABC 2 (2): signed and numbered
limited edition of 50 at UK£10; also
available unsigned at UK£3-50.
14. Nightjar A4 colour prints by Martin
Woodcock from Bull. ABC 2 (2):
Club News
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 -87
one print illustrates Mountain and
Rwenzori Nightjars, the second
depicts Black-shouldered and
Fiery-necked Nightjars: UK£3.50
each.
15. Locally designed cards on hand-
made paper, produced by the
paper making co-operative of the
BirdLife International-supported
Kilum Mountain Forest Project in
Cameroon. A selection of five cards
in a hand- woven wallet: UK£5.
16. Self-adhesive ‘re-use envelope’
labels featuring ABC logo. UK£1
for 10
17. Bull. ABC, volume 1, 1994, number
1 and 2: UK£5 each.
18. Bull. ABC, volume 2, 1995, number
1 and 2: UK£6 each.
19. Bull. ABC, volume 3, 1996, number
1 and 2: UK£6 each.
20. Bull. ABC, volume 4, 1997, number
1 and 2: UK£7 each.
21. Bull. ABC, volume 5, 1998, number
1 and 2: UK<£7 each.
22. Bull. ABC, volume 5, 1998, number
1 and 2: UK£7 each.
22. Azores Trip Report, Sep-Oct 1997
by Willem Steenge and Theo
Bakker: UK£6.
23. Cameroon Trip Report, Dec 1994—
Jan 1995 by Richard Webb: UK<£6.
24. Cameroon Trip Report, Mar-April
1997 by Jon Hornbuckle: UK£4.
25. Cape Verde Trip Report, Mar 1996
by Theo Bakker and Klaas van
Dijk: UK£6.50.
26. Ethiopia Trip Report, Dec 1995-Jan
1996 by Richard Webb: UK£7.50.
27. Ethiopia Trip Report, Oct-Nov
1996 by Jon Hornbuckle: UK£4.
28. Ethiopia: In search of endemic
birds, Sep-Oct 1997 by Julian
Francis and Hadoram Shirihai:
UK£10.
29. Ethiopia/Eritrea Trip Report, Mar-
May 1998 by David Murdoch:
UK£3.
30. The Gambia, 10-17 Sep 1999 by
Stuart Sharp: UK£5.00.
31. Birding Ghana, Feb 1996 by Mindy
and Sherif El Din: UK£-6.50.
32. Ghana Trip Report, Jan-Feb 1997
by Simon Plat: UK£4.
33- Cote d'Ivoire by public transport
trip report, Jan-Feb 1995 by Eddie
Williams: UK£4.
34. Kenya Trip Report, Feb-Mar 1995
by Mike Hunter and Graham
Speight: UK£8.
35. Madagascar and the Comoros, Oct-
Nov 1995 by Jon Hornbuckle:
UK£4.
36. Madagascar, Nov-Dec 1997 by
Chris Bell, Mike Hunter, Dawn
Ross and Malcolm Roxby: UK£3.
37. Madagascar (with Mauritius and
Reunion), winter 1997-98 by Brian
Gee: UK£9.
38. Madagascar Trip Report by Paul
Noakes: UK£2.50.
39. Malawi, March 1997 by Jon
Hornbuckle: UK£3.
40. Malawi and the Luangwa Valley,
Zambia, Jul-Aug 1997 by Henk
Hendriks: UK£8.
41. Namibia and the Cape, Nov 1994
by Jon Hornbuckle: UK£4.
42. Birding Senegal, 10-29 November
1998 by Mindy and Sherif Baha el
Din: UK£5.
43. Eastern South Africa and
Zimbabwe, Feb-Mar 1997 by Jon
Hornbuckle: UK£5.
44. Voyage Naturaliste au Cape
Provinces d’Afrique du Sud, Sep-
Oct 1997 par Georges et Mireille
Olioso: UK£6.
45. Usambara Mountains, Tanzania,
Jan-Feb 1996 by Eddie Williams:
UK£4.50.
46. Uganda Trip Report, Jun-Aug 1995
by Henk Hendriks: UK£6.50.
47. Wakkerstroom Bird and Nature
Guide, by Warwick and Michele
Tarboton: UK£4.
48. Birdwatch Zimbabwe, 1991, by
Derek Solomon and Jacko
Williams: UK£7.
Postage and packing: please send
UK£2 for each UK order, and UK£3 for
each overseas surface mail order. For
overseas airmail please add UK£1.50
for each item ordered.
Orders: payments should be made
in pounds sterling by cheque/postal
order (payable to African Bird Club) or
credit card. Full credit card details are
required, please specify: Visa, Access,
Mastercard or Eurocard; card number;
cardholder's name (as it appears on
card); cardholder’s address; expiry’
date; cardholder’s signature; and
amount payable. Please be sure to
specify your name and address and
the full details of your order including
quantity, with size and colour where
applicable.
Please send your order to African
Bird Club, c/o BirdLife International.
Wellbrook Court, Girton Road.
Cambridge CB3 0NA, United Kingdom.
Enquiries may also be sent to ABC
Sales Officer, Moira Hargreaves, at the
Club’s address or e-mail:
Moira.Y.Hargreaves@btinternet.com.
ABC Corporate Sponsorship
Under the terms of the Corporate
Sponsorship scheme, a minimum
payment of UK£300 entitles a sponsor
to benefits under the scheme for a
five-year period. Corporate Sponsors
receive a full-page advertisement in
two bulletins during the five years and
can also use the Club's corporate
sponsorship logo in adverts and
stationery. Contributions under the
scheme are allocated directly to the
ABC Conservation Fund. Any
individual or company with inquiries
or suggestions about the scheme
should write to Moira Hargreaves at
the Club address or e-mail:
Moira.Y.Hargreaves@btinternet.com.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to BirdLife
International for the use of their offices
as a mailing address, Alcedo
Publishing of Colorado Springs, USA,
and Crowes of Norwich, UK, for their
assistance in producing the bulletin. 'f>
88 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Club News
Minutes of the Sixth AGM of the African Bird Club
held on 4 March 2000 at the School of Oriental and African Studies,
Thornhaugh Street, London at 14.00 hr
Present
The following registered then-
attendance at the meeting:
T Addinell, Philip Adlington, R
Allison, Phil Atkinson, David Barker,
Keith Betton, Mike Blair, Nik
Borrow, Richard Bosanquet, C F
Brooks, Dennis Buisson, Richard
Butler, Mark Catterall, Nick
Chambers, Bob Cheke, P C Cherry,
Nigel Cleere, Chris Collins, J P
Darch, Marc Depauw, Megan
Dickens, S Ecclestone, David Fisher,
Lincoln Fishpool, Paul Fuller, F M
Gauntlett, Brian Gee, John Hammick,
Moira Hargreaves, Roy Hargreaves,
Vicki Harley, Dave Harris, Peter
Headland, Christopher Helm, Chris
Hendley, Mr and Mrs A Holcombe,
Gordon Holtshausen, Nigel Jarman,
R J Jeffers, Michael Kings, Paul
Lascelles, Mark Lawrence, Russell
Leavett, Simon Levene, Duncan
Macdonald, Arthur Mason, Christine
Mason, Andy Merritt, Tony Morris,
John Mujinga, David Porter,
Madeleine Prangley, Bill Quantrill, A
W Seymour, M P Stanyer, B R Sykes,
Jane Tatchell, Don Taylor, Anne
Thain, Hazell Thompson, A J Todd,
John Walder, T Watson, Alan
Williams, Barbara Woodcock and
Martin Woodcock.
Apologies for absence
Apologies were received from
Patrick Claffey, Jon Gibbons, Joan
Howie, Guy Kirwan, Rob and Vicki
Lucking, Amberley Moore, Anne
Nason, Rowena Quantrill, Nigel
Redman, Beau Rowlands, Yvonne
Savidge, P J Sellar and Richard
Webb.
Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes of the last meeting were
taken as read and approved
unanimously.
Matters arising from the
minutes
There were no matters arising.
Report of the Council for 1999
In introducing the report, copies of
which had been distributed at the
meeting, the Chairman noted that
membership at the end of 1999 was
unchanged from a year previously, at
just over 1,300. 1999 was the first year
since the Club was founded during
which there had been no significant
membership growth. Steps were now
being taken to promote the Club more
actively, particularly in key African
countries. Encouraging progress had
been made with the Conservation
Awards programme, and there had
been four successful applications for
NHBS/ABC Book Awards. The first of
the new Expedition Awards had been
made to the Nigerian Conservation
Foundation to help finance an
expedition to the Oban Hills/Cross
River National Park. The Chairman
paid tribute to three members of
Council who were standing down,
Geoff Randall, Jacquie Bridges and
Alan Wilkinson, and also thanked the
Club’s Corporate Sponsors, as well as
the many volunteers who have helped
the Club in different ways over the
past year.
Looking forward to the coming
year, the Chairman announced that
Council would be undertaking a wide-
ranging review of the Club’s aims and
objectives, and of the format and
content of the Bulletin. Any member
who had strong views on these
questions was welcome to participate
in the review. The year will see the
10th Pan African Ornithological
Congress, to be held in Kampala, at
which ABC will be present.
Preparations will also continue for the
2nd World Birding Conference, to be
held at Swanwick in spring 2001. The
Chairman concluded his remarks by
appealing for more members to take
an active part in the Club, in particular
by volunteering for election to
Council.
Presentation of the Accounts for
1999 and Treasurer’s Report
In presenting the accounts, copies of
which had been distributed at the
meeting, the Treasurer reported that
the Club’s finances remained
healthy. The increased expenditure
on the Bulletin and from the
Conservation Account reflected
deliberate decisions by Council to
spend more on these items, since it
was not Club policy to accumulate
excessive reserves. The Treasurer
also reported that the Inland
Revenue had now confirmed that the
Club could recover any tax that
might have been paid on
subscriptions to the Club by
members who were UK tax payers.
At the moment this should be done
by a Deed of Covenant. The
government was reported to be
considering simplifying the system
by eliminating the need for
covenants, but for now members
were invited to complete and return
the deed forms distributed with the
latest issue of the Bulletin. There
being no questions, the Accounts
were approved unanimously.
Election of Council
The following were elected to the
African Bird Club Council for 2000:
Phil Atkinson, Keith Betton, Richard
Butler, Mark Catterall, Stan Davies,
John Farnsworth, Moira Hargreaves,
Roy Hargreaves, Gordon
Holtshausen, Paul Lascelles, Rob
Lucking, Bill Quantrill, Alan Williams
and John Wyatt.
Election of Executive Officers
The following were elected as
Executive Officers of the Club for
2000:
Chairman: Phil Atkinson
Secretary: Bill Quantrill
Treasurer: Alan Williams
Appointment of Auditor
Mr B P G Blackler, FCMA, MIMgt was
elected as Auditor for 2000.
Any Other Business
There being no other business, the
Chairman declared the meeting
closed at 14.30 hr. ff>
AGM Minutes
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -89
African Bird Club— summary statement of accounts
at 31 December 1999
(A copy of the full statement may be obtained from the Club Treasurer on request >
Income and Expenditure Account —
year to 31 December 1999
Balance Sheet at
31 December 1999
Main Account
Fixed Assets
INCOME
1999
1998
Equipment
1169
Subscriptions
16506
16844
Current Assets
Other revenue
3396
2795
Stock of goods for resale
4827
Bank and Building Society Interest
372
_Z5Q
Bank and Building Society Balances
22528
20274
20389
22355
Less:
Less:
Bulletin Costs (including postage)
14829
13120
Current Liabilities
Income before expenses
5445
7269
Subscriptions paid in advance
7924
Life memberships
5496
EXPENSES
Sundry creditors
— 1134
General expenses — stationery, telephone.
meeting costs etc
Participation at IOC
3966
4400
795
Net current assets
14553
Total assets
Finance costs — bank charges, depreciation.
1160
1050
13971
accountancy etc
Total expenses
Surplus for year
5127
318
6245
1024
Represented by:
Accumulated Fund brought forward
Surplus for year
6048
318
Conservation Account (see Note below)
Conservation Fund brought forward
8156
Conservation Fund balance for year
z55i
INCOME
13971
Donations and sponsorship
633
1249
Profit on sales of Club merchandise
2138
1197
Total income
2771
2446
EXPENDITURE
Conservation awards made in year
3322
2290
Balance for year carried forward
-551
156
Note: <£8000 was set aside at the end of 1997 to form the
Conservation Fund. Profits on sales of Club merchandise and income
from donations and sponsorship are now added to this fund.
Advertise in the Bulletin of the ABC
All advertisements must be sent prepaid (cheques
made payable to the African Bird Club) as camera-
ready copy, bromide/film or on floppy disk to:
Moira Hargreaves, 30 Highfield Road, Tring,
Herts, HP23 4DX, UK.
If adverts are sent on floppy disk we can accept
Pagemaker 6, CorelDraw7 files or unformatted
ASCII text files and uncompressed TIF graphics files.
If adverts are prepared on an Apple Mac the dis-
kette should be formatted for PC.
The current rates are as follows and are based on a
print run of 1,500 copies. These rates are guaran-
teed for the March 200 1 Bull ABC.
Please address all queries to Moira Hargreaves at
the above address.
African Bird Club Advertising Rates
Black & white
Full-page
£95
(210 x
145mm)
Half-page
£60
(100 x
145mm)
Quarter-page
£40
(100 x
70mm)
Eighth-page
£25
(50 x
70mm)
Colour
Please contact Moira Hargreaves on Tel/Fax: 01442
823624. E-mail: moira.y.hargreaves@btinternet.com
(or write to the address given above left.)
Copy deadlines
Spring Bulletin 15 January
Autumn Bulletin 05 June
90 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Advertising Rates
African Bird Club
CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
ABC Conservation Fund
The ABC Conservation Fund supports small conservation projects in Africa. In
1998, seven Conservation Awards totalling over UK£3,000 (US$4,300) were
made. These awards embraced a wide range of activities in five countries from
environmental education projects to research on endangered species.
ABC Conservation Awards are available to African individuals or institutions or
to people normally resident in an African country and the Club welcomes project
proposals for funding up to a maximum of UK£750 (US$1,300). Further
information on the Conservation Fund and guidelines on how to write a project
proposal can be found on the ABC website (http://www.africanbirdclub.org) or
obtained from the Club address below.
ABC/NHBS Book Awards
The ABC/NHBS book award scheme is a collaboration between the ABC and the
Natural History Book Service. Five book vouchers to the value of UK£100
(US$150) each are awarded annually to successful applicants. The vouchers can
be redeemed against books to the same value sold by NHBS. The aim of the
award is to promote awareness of birds, birding and bird conservation in Africa
and ideally applicants should be able to demonstrate that the material will be
available for a wide range of people to consult. The deadline for applications for
the 2000/2001 book awards is 31 January 2001.
NHBS catalogues are available on request from NHBS, 2-3 Wills Road, Totnes,
Devon TQ9 5XN, UK. E-mail: nhbs@nhbs.co.uk
ABC Expedition Award
The ABC Expedition Award is a new initiative for the year 2000. One award of
UK£1,000 (US$1,500) will be made annually. Full details can be found on the
ABC website (http :/www. africanbirdclub.org) or obtained from the Club’s
address below.
Further information...
For further information about the African Bird Club Conservation Programme,
please write to Rob Lucking at: African Bird Club, c/o BirdLife International,
Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 0NA, UK, or e-mail
Rob.Lucking@rspb.org.uk
ABC Conservation Fund
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 - 91
Africa Round-up
Isabelline (=Red-tailed) Shrike Lanius
isabellinus by Mark Andrews
General
Races of Isabelline Shrike and
their nomenclature
Isabelline (=Red-tailed) Shrike Lanius
isabellinus is usually regarded as
comprising four subspecies, two of
which reach Africa in winter,
phoenicuroides and speculigerus. D. J.
Pearson demonstrates, in a recent
paper, that speculigerus is actually a
synonym of the nominate race.
Source: Bull. Br. Ornithol. Cl. 120,
pp 22-27
Sand plover identification
revisited
A recent paper in the journal British
Birds, by Erik Hirschfeld and co-
authors, has taken a fresh and
comprehensive new look at the
identification of Greater Charadrius
leschenaultii and Lesser Sand Plovers
C. mongolus , as well as re-evaluating
the global ranges of their subspecies.
Illustrated by a series of colour plates,
photographs and line drawings (the
former and latter by Alan Harris), the
paper marks a significant step forward
in the identification of these two,
frequently misidentified, species, and
will be required reading for all
shorebird enthusiasts.
Source: Br. Birds 93, pp 162-189
Golden Orioles wintering in
Africa
A recent study of the European
Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus in Africa
has demonstrated that the species has
two main wintering areas (mid-
December to February) in the
continent: a small area north of the
Cameroon and Central African
Republic rainforests, and a much
larger area south of 05°S. There are no
reliable winter records in West Africa.
For winter habitats it prefers savannah
woodland, forest-savannah mosiac.
riverine and gallery forests and Guinea
Zone forests, while on migration,
which continues until December and
commences in February, it will also
occasionally use rainforests.
Source: Die Vogelwarte 40. pp 63-79
Satellite-tracked eagles carry
UNEP message
In July 1999, several adult Lesser
Spotted Eagles Aquila pomarina were
caught in northern Germany by
members of the World Working Group
on Birds of Prey and Owls (WWGBP).
These were equipped with solar-
powered satellite transmitters,
weighing c35 g, which will provide
new information about the flyways
and roosting sites (stopovers) of these
eagles. The fact that they reach even
the southernmost areas of the African
continent and the coincidence of their
presumed arrival in early November
when the Convention on Migratory
Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS)
was holding its 6th Conference of the
Parties (COP 6) in Cape Town (4— 16
November 1999) led to the idea of
equipping the eagles not only with
transmitters but also with a message:
‘This Eagle connects ecosystems of
Europe, the Middle East and Africa —
Migratory animals are paramount
symbols of our common natural
heritage’. This message, focusing on
the above conference, was addressed
to the President of South Africa, Thabo
Mbeki, in the name of Prof. Dr Klaus
Topfer, the Executive Director of
UNEP (United Nations Environment
Programme). The eagles migration
routes, which can be viewed on the
Internet (http : //www. dialogis . de/cms/
eagles.html), were displayed in a
keynote speech by Dr Topfer during
the opening ceremony of the
conference. The increase in public
awareness of endangered migratory
c:
species throughout the world was the
main goal of this symbolic action,
which is also supported by UNEP
(United Nations Environment
Programme).
Source: http: www.dialogis.de cms,
eagles.html
Recent Ornithological Literature
Not all members may be aware that
the AOU/BOU/RAOU literature
abstracts are now available freely on
the Internet (http://
w w w . n m n h . s i . ed u / B I R D N ET/ ROL/
index.html). This is the most complete
bibliography available, it is updated
frequently and can be readily
converted into a PC database.
Inclusion of the African literature has
unfortunately been very incomplete,
but with Tauraco taking over
responsibility for organising sub-
Saharan abstracts, it is hoped the
backlog can soon be dealt with. The
latest issue to be posted (no. 79) does
not include any African titles, but there
are a large number in no. 80 (which
will probably be available on the
Internet by the time you read this).
For this service to be as complete
and prompt as possible, the
collaboration of a team of abstractors
is necessary. For a number of serials
we do not have abstractors. Any
volunteer prepared to examine a
journal promptly on publication, and
having access to e-mail, is encouraged
to contact Bob Dowsett (e-mail:
Dowsett@aol.com).
Southern Africa
New genus erected for Kerguelen
Petrel
Storrs Olson has recently established
the need for a new genus,
Apbrodroma, for the Kerguelen Petrel
Pterodroma brevirostris , which breeds
on Kerguelen, Crozet, Marion, Tristan
da Cunha and Gough islands in the
southern Atlantic Ocean. A 1985
proposal had resurrected the genus
Lugensa for this species, based on
intestinal traits, Mallophaga and
behavioural analyses. Subsequently, a
relative degree of consensus had been
reached that the species is not
particularly closely related to other
92 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Africa Round-up
Pterodroma petrels. Olson’s research
has demonstrated that Lugensa is
unavailable for Kerguelen Petrel. Due
to lingering doubts over the
identification of the battered’ type-
specimen. it may be that the specific
name brevirostris should be relaced
with the alternative kidderi, but this
must await further research. For now,
Olson proposes that the species be
henceforward known as Aphrodroma
brevirostris.
Source: Bull. Br. Omithol. Cl. 120,
pp 59-62
Cattle Egret diet in southern
Africa
Grzegorz Kopij has recently published
a study of the stomach contents of
adult and chick Cattle Egrets Bubulcus
ibis. The results indicate that the
species, in South African grasslands,
principally feeds on insects (69% of
total dry mass) and vertebrates (28%).
Chick diet is relatively more
dependent on vertebrates than that of
their parents. It appears that breeding
season rainfall may influence the
relative importance of vertebrates and
insects in Cattle Egret diet. In addition,
adult diet becomes more reliant on
insects in winter (June-August) than in
summer (September-March), when
vertebrates increase in importance. As
the young grow there is a noticeable
shift toward insects in their diet.
Source: Die Vogelwarte 40, pp 98-109
New subspecies of Levaillant’s
Cisticola described from the
Western Cape, South Africa
All Levaillant’s Cisticolas Cisticola
tinniens south of the Limpopo River
were considered to belong to the
nominate race, but Marc Herremans
and his co-workers found that several
data demonstrated that those from the
Western Cape were best treated as a
separate subspecies, which they have
named brookei in honour of Richard K.
Brooke, for his major contributions to
African ornithology. Atlas data indicate
a distinct discontinuity in the
distribution of Levaillant’s Cisticola,
separating populations in the winter
rainfall region of the Western Cape
from those in the summer rainfall zone
of South Africa. Western Cape birds
breed and moult earlier, are smaller in
wing and tail lengths, but heavier in
weight, and lack the distinctive
summer plumage of a pale rufous,
unstreaked crown found in nominate
tinniens. Both forms undergo a partial
body moult in spring, but brookei
moults from a winter plumage similar
to nominate birds into a breeding
plumage where most have the back of
the crown marked with dark stripes.
Nominate tinniens has the underparts
almost white in breeding plumage and
darker grey-buff in non-breeding
plumage, whereas in brookei the
underparts are similar to the non-
breeding nominate throughout the
year.
Source: Ostrich 70, pp 164-172
Zambia Bird Report 1998
The second issue of this periodical
builds on the standards set by the first
volume, and will prove essential
reading for those interested in the
country’s avifauna. In the traditions of
quality bird reports, established in
recent years, this publication of the
Zambian Ornithological Society (ZOS)
contains much more than the year’s
systematic bird list: 11 articles,
including the results of the African
Waterfowl Census in July 1998,
descriptions of three species new to
the country, the avifauna of
Mwinilunga’s marginal forests, and 12
shorter notes form the bulk of the
present report’s 197 pages. Contact the
ZOS, Box 33944, Lusaka 10101,
Zambia, e-mail: zos@zamnet.zm, for
details of membership and how to
purchase the report, as well as to
submit records for 1999 and
subsequent years.
Source: Pete Leonard in litt.
December 1999
Additions to the Zambian bird list
In 1998 four species were accepted by
the Zambian Ornithological Society as
additions to the country list: Rtippell’s
Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppellii, Kori
Bustard Ardeotis kori , Brown-chested
Lapwing Vanellus superciliosus and
Shrike Flycatcher Megabyas
flammulatus. The bustard and
lapwing had been reported earlier but
by Mark Andrews
were not accepted because the records
were considered insufficiently proven.
Source: ZOS Newsletter 29
Peregrine nesting habitat quality
may affect foraging efficiency
An eight-year study of Peregrine Falco
peregrinus nest sites in three areas of
South Africa revealed that modes of
foraging varied significantly between
different sites, and that males hunted
more frequently than their partners. A
mean of c0.5 hunts was recorded per
observation hour and, although
foraging mode did not positively
correlate with cliff height or elevation
above surrounding terrain, those pairs
occupying higher cliffs had higher
success rates. Most strikes were made
from elevated sites close to the nest
and were more successful than those
made on the wing. In addition, the
height difference between the
Peregrine and its prey at the start of
the strike significantly affected its
success. It would appear that high nest
cliffs contribute to foraging success by
affording perch-hunting Peregrines
with a more effective height advantage
over their prey.
Source: Ibis 142, pp 235-246
Waterfowl Census 1999 in Malawi
The 1999 waterfowl count. in Malawi
was the best ever. Between early June
and early September, 1999, a total of
9,348 waterbirds of 79 species was
recorded at 14 sites. Among the most
important locations were the
fishponds at SUCOMA, Chiromo and
Sungu Island at Nkohotakota.
Source: Vocifer 2 (19,) Oct 1999
Bar-tailed Godwit wintering areas
Within the context of the relatively
small numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits
Limosa lapponica wintering in
southern Africa (c3,500 in Namibia and
South Africa), the discovery during
1996 to 1998 of a population of up to
5,523 in the Bazaruto Archipelago, off
the coast of central Mozambique, is
surprising.
Source: Die Vogelwarte 40, pp 142-
144
Mozambique Bird Atlas Project:
phase 2
With the publication, in 1999, of Atlas
of the Birds of Sul do Save, Southern
Mozambique (see Bull ABC 6: 86-87),
the first phase of the atlas project,
begun in 1995, was completed. The
author, Vincent Parker, has now
commenced atlas work in the central
Africa Round-up
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 -93
pari of the country, the area between
the Save and Zambezi rivers, as well as
Tete Province. The plan is to produce
an atlas for central Mozambique within
three years, after which the northern
part of the country will be
investigated. Already 14 species have
been added to the Mozambique list.
Observers visiting any part of
Mozambique are urged to complete
atlas checklists, which are available
from the Endangered Wildlife Trust
(Private Bag XI 1, Parkview,
Johannesburg 2122, South Africa; tel.
(Oil) 486-1102; e-mail:
ewt@ewt.org.za) and the Avian
Demography Unit (University of Cape
Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa;
tel. (021) 650-2423; e-mail:
adu@maths.uct.ac.za).
Source: Africa — Birds & Birding 4 ( 6 ).
P 22
Inaccessible buntings
A project based at the Percy FitzPatrick
Institute of African Ornithology, Cape
Town, aims to study the buntings of
Inaccessible Island, one of three
islands in the Tristan da Cunha group.
This small volcanic island, situated
midway between Cape Town and
South America, is home to four land
birds, all endemic to Tristan:
Inaccessible Island Rail Atlantisia
rogersi (the world’s smallest flightless
bird), Tristan Thrush Nesocichla
eremita, Tristan Bunting Nesospiza
acunhae and Wilkins’ Bunting N.
wilkinsi. The two buntings occupy
different niches: the small-billed
Tristan Bunting is a dietary generalist,
whereas the large-billed Wilkins’ is a
specialist that feeds primarily on the
seeds of the islands’ only tree species.
On Inaccessible Island the two species
have been found to hybridise in food-
inaccessible Island Rail Atlantisia
rogersi by Craig Robson
poor areas. As males and females of
mixed pairs are able to exploit
different foods, such partnerships
appear to hold an advantage in such
situations. Their offspring, however,
have intermediate-sized bills, which
are probably not adapted for either
large tree seeds and grass seeds. The
foraging efficiency of birds of known
bill size will be investigated.
Source: Africa — Birds & Birding 4 (5),
p 19
...and seabirds
Inaccessible Island is also home to
important seabird populations, and
urgently required up-to-date
information on the status of some of
these will also be gathered. Special
attention is to be focused on
Spectacled Petrel, the distinctive
subspecies conspicillata of White-
chinned Petrel Procellaria
aequinoctialis, which has suffered
greatly from long-line fishing off Brazil
and for which Inaccessible Island is
the only breeding site.
Source: Africa — Birds & Birding 4 ( 5).
p 19
Low breeding success of
Namaqua Sandgrouse in Karoo
A project monitoring Namaqua
Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua within
its core breeding area in the Karoo,
South Africa, over four consecutive
years, has discovered its breeding
success to be so low that it may suffer
population declines as a result,
especially in South Africa. The cause
of this alarming situation appears to be
the exceptionally high level of nest
predation, principally by mongooses.
It is suspected that sheep-farmers'
control of larger predators, particularly
birds of prey and jackals, which are
important predators of mongooses,
has permitted the latter either to
increase in number and/or to forage
unmolested across exposed areas
where Namaqua Sandgrouse nest.
Source: Africa — Birds & Birding 4 (6),
p 24
Madagascar Serpent-Eagle
studies
The Masoala peninsula, in north-east
Madagascar, constitutes the stronghold
of the critically endangered
Madagascar Serpent-Eagle Eutriorchis
astur. Russell Thorstrom and
colleagues studied the species in this
area during 1993 to 1998 and detected
15 individuals at a total of nine
localities. Most significantly, they
discovered the first nest of this species
known to science, in November 1997,
at which time it contained a single egg.
It was well hidden in an epiphytic
fern, 20 m above the ground. Two
weeks later the egg hatched, with the
young finally fledging in late January
1998. During its time in the nest,
chameleons Furcifer sp. and leaf-tailed
geckos Urolaptus sp. constituted 83""
of the 133 identified prey items. Thus,
the name serpent eagle' is probably a
misnomer and forest eagle' appears
more appropriate. The authors of this
interesting study recommend further
research to determine the species'
distribution and to collect more
information on its breeding biology,
with emphasis on courtship and
nesting habitat.
Source: Ibis 142. pp 217-224
East Africa
New subspecies of East Coast
Akalat from Tanzania
Jon Fjeldsa and his co-workers have
recently published a description of a
new subspecies, allicola. of the East
Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi.
The new taxon is apparently endemic
to the Nguu Mountains, of north-
western Tanga, Tanzania, and clearly
differs morphologically and genetically
from adjacent coastal populations of
the species, and from Sharpe's Akalat
S. sharpei , which inhabits other
montane forests in the country'. The
discovery once again highlights the
tremendous ornithological importance
of the Eastern Arc Mountain forests.
Fortunately, while most remaining
forests in Tanzania are under
considerable pressure from the
growing human population, those in
the Nguu Mts are still relatively
pristine and have been designated as a
Catchment Forest Reserve, due to their
importance as a water catchment area
for eastern Maasailand.
Source: Bull. Br. Ornithol. Cl. 120, pp
27-33
What is Ruwenzori Turaco?
Three subspecies of Ruwenzori Turaco
Musophaga johnstoni, a montane
forest resident of the Albertine Rift,
have been described, although Birds
of Africa regards only two of these as
valid, nominate joh nstoni and
kivuensis. The other race described is
bredoi. Michel Louette and co-workers
have recently re-examined a
comprehensive series of specimens of
all three described subspecies, from
94 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Africa Round-up
five separate populations (all of which
exhibit limited morphological
differentiation), and conclude that all,
including bredoi , are valid. Further
study, they suggest, may demonstrate
whether more than one species is
involved, although Louette et al
consider the latter possibility as
unlikely. In addition, the authors
conclude that Ruwenzori Turaco is
best placed in the genus
Ruwenzoromis, not Musophagci.
Source: Bull. Br. Omithol. Cl. 120 , pp
34-39
Cosmoledo Atoll bird
observations
A recent paper has analysed the status
of all birds, particularly focusing on
seabirds, known to occur on little-
visited Cosmoledo Atoll, in the
south-west part of the Seychelles
archipelago. Forty-six species have
been recorded on the island, and the
authors also describe human impacts
on the avifauna and make
recommendations for future
management of this Important Bird
Area.
Source: Bull. Br. Omithol. Cl. 120, pp
46-57
White-necked Picathartes Picathartes
gymnocephala by Nik Borrow
(courtesy of Birdquest)
West Africa
White-necked Picathartes under
pressure
Recent (November 1997 and
November 1998-April 1999) surveys of
a White-necked Picathartes Picathartes
gymnocephala colony in Lamto, Cote
d’Ivoire, revealed a total of 34 nests,
10 of which were just remnants and
only 12 of which were relatively fresh,
and just one was occupied during the
observation periods. The authors
suggest that limited and responsible
ecotourism could have positive
benefits for the species in Lamto.
Source: Bird Conserv. Intern. 10,
pp 41-46
New bird species for Guinea...
During an avifaunal survey of Parc
National du Haut Niger, in central
Guinea, during winter 1996/97,
Gerhard Nikolaus discovered 300 bird
species, of which 17 were new to the
country’s list. Abundance, habitat use
and monthly occurrence in the park of
all species recorded are presented in
the resultant paper.
Source : Malimbus 22, pp 1-22
...and Mali
Elsewhere in the same issue of
Malimbus , Peter Spierenburg presents
details of three bird species (Red-
headed Lovebird Agapomis pullaria,
Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida
and Mottled Swift Tachymarptis
aequatorialis) previously unrecorded
in Mali, and three others (Bat Hawk
Machaerhamphus alcinus, White-
rumped Swift Apus caffer and
Blue-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon
malimbica ) for which few records
exist. It should be noted that the
author has overlooked the record of
Apalis flavida already published, and
documented photographically, in
these pages (Bull. ABC 5: 59).
Source: Malimbus 22, pp 23-28
New information on bird
distributions in Mauritania
A visit to Mauritania in October 1995
demonstrated that the following
species were expanding their range
north-westward: Speckled Pigeon
Columba guinea, Scaly-fronted
Warbler Spiloptila clamans, House
Sparrow Passer domesticus and Grey-
headed Sparrow P. griseus, while
Southern Grey Shrike Lanius
meridionalis was extending its range
southward. The author also draws
attention to significant new records of
Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
and Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
made during the same month.
Source: Orn. Jber. Mus. Heineanum
17, pp 117-122
Claim of Yellow-throated Petronia
from Chad withdrawn
The claim of the first Yellow-throated
Petronia Petronia superciliaris from
Chad, reportedly seen at N’Djamena in
February 1998 (see Bull ABC 6: 91),
Mount Kupe Bush-Shrike Telophorus
kupeensis by Mark Andrews
has been .withdrawn. The birds were
probably Bush Petronias P. dentata.
Source: Alauda 67, p 356
New site for Mount Kupe Bush-
Shrike
The critically endangered Mount Kupe
Bush-Shrike Telophorus kupeensis was
found at a new locality, at cl, 400 m, in
the southern sector of Banyang Mbo
Wildlife Sanctuary, in October 1999.
Previously the species was known
only from Mount Kupe and the
Bakossi Mountains of Cameroon.
Source: Marc Languy/BildLife
Cameroon Programme
Birds of Lobeke, Cameroon
The avifauna of Lobeke Faunal
Reserve, in south-east Cameroon, has
been the subject of recent (1997-1999)
surveys by the indefatigable Dowsett
husband and wife team, and the
results of their research were
published recently. Three hundred
and five species have been identified
in this regionally important reserve,
including an as yet unidentified
nightjar (probably Prigogine’s Nightjar
Caprimulgus prigoginei ) and the
globally Data Deficient Ja River
Warbler Bradypterus grandis, for
which Lobeke appears to be the most
important site for the species’
conservation. Other interesting, rare
and little-known species located in the
reserve include Olive Ibis Bostrychia
olivacea, Sandy Scops Owl Otus
icterorhynchus, Zenker’s Honeyguide
Melignomon zenkeri, Tessmann’s
Flycatcher Muscicapa tessmanni,
Yellow-capped Weaver Ploceus
dorsomaculatus and a population of
African Barred Owlet Glaucidium
capense, which, like others in central
Africa Round-up
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 - 95
Africa, occurs in open-canopy forest
and whose taxonomic position is open
to question.
Source: Bird Conserv. Intern. 10,
pp 67-87
More Cape Verde bird records
Kees Hazevoet has sent us a copy of
the most recent Cape Verde Islands
‘bird report’, which includes notes on
current conservation issues, as well as
information on 15 breeding species
and 52 scarce and rare migrants
reported in the archipelago during late
1998 and the first half of 1999- The
latter include eleven new species to
the Cape Verdean avifauna (Lesser
Scaup Aythya affinis , White-tailed
Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, Great
White Egret Egretta alba, Semi-
palmated Plover Charadrius
semipalmatus, Semi-palmated
Sandpiper Calidris pusilla, Lesser
Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes, Spotted
Sandpiper Actitis macularia, Roseate
Tern Sterna dougallii, Pallid Swift
Apus pallidus, Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros and Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra).
Source: Bull. Zool. Mus. Univ.
Amsterdam 17, pp 19-32
North Africa
Barn Owl diet in Morocco
A long-term study of the Barn Owl's
Tyto alba diet in northern Morocco has
revealed that small mammals,
including the Algerian Mouse Mus
spretus, gerbils and shrews are the
most abundant prey items (74.4%).
Frogs and reptiles are taken, along
with birds (principally Passer sp.), but
most surprising was the incidence of
insects (10.5% of total number of
items) in the species’ diet in this
region.
Source: Alauda 67, pp 323-336
American Golden Plover in
Tunisia
A recent issue of Dutch Birding
contains an account of the discovery,
photographs and a discussion of the
identification of the first American
Golden Plover Plurialis dominicus in
Tunisia, at Abu Nawash Golf Course,
Djerba, on 24 December 1998. f
Source: Dutch Birding 22. pp 25-27
Requests for Information
Sub-desert Mesites
Chris Jameson, a PhD student at the
University of Michigan, is studying
the breeding system of the
Madagascar endemic, Sub-desert
(Bensch’s) Mesite Monias
(Mesitornis) benscbi. He wishes to
collect as many recent observations
of the species as possible: precise
location, time of year, how many
were observed and any other
information concerning the sighting
that is available. ABC members with
information on the species are
requested to send it to him at: .
cjameson@umich.edu, or by post to:
Department of Biology and Museum
of Zoology, University of Michigan,
1121 Natural Science Building, Ann
Arbor, Michigan 48109-1048, USA.
Birds of Cameroon
Jean-Michel Lapios is seeking
photographs of the 840 species of
birds recorded in Cameroon for use
in an illustrated guide on which he is
working. ABC members who have
photographs they believe would be
suitable for this purpose, which they
are prepared to make available are
invited to contact him at
jmlapios@diomedea.org for further
details of his requirements, terms
offered etc.
Nightingale and Thrush
Nightingale vocalisations on their
wintering grounds
Roger Mundry, member of a research
group investigating several aspects of
song (eg learning, development,
organisation) in Nightingale Luscinia
megarhynchos and Thrush Nightingale
L. luscinia, would be very interested
to learn about the vocal behaviour of
the two species on their winter
quarters in Africa. He would greatly
appreciate receiving any records of the
two species in Africa, with a special
regard to song activity. If you have
encountered either in Africa please
send information concerning the
details of the observation. Please
include exact location(s) and date(s)
of the observation(s), number of birds
etc. If available, please include
information about song behaviour, for
instance number and percentage of
birds singing, amount of singing
(only a few songs, continuous
singing, diurnal, nocturnal), kind of
song (full, subsong) etc. Rough
estimates, raw impressions and less
detailed information are also very
welcome. Please contact Roger
Mundry, Institut fur
Verhaltensbiologie, Haderslebener
Str. 9, D-12163 Berlin, Germany. E-
mail: rmundry@biologie.fu-berlin.de;
tel: +49-30-838 550 67.
Records from Mont Peko
National Park
Any birders or researchers, with bird
or mammal observations from Mont
Peko National Park, Cote d’Ivoire are
requested to them to Hugo Rainey,
Tanyard, Steeple Bumpstead,
Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7DS, UK, or e-
mail: hugorainey@hotmail.com.
Please provide a list of species with,
if possible, dates, location within the
park and habitat details. Details of
observations from any of the forests
north of Ta'f Forest would also be
gratefully received, (f)
96 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Requests
Records from Gambela, western Ethiopia
Claire Spottiswoode and Michael Mills
Les basses terres de Test de l’Ethiopie ont une faune, une flore et une culture distinctes de celles du reste
du pays. L'avifaune de cette region est mal connue. Nous avons visite les environs de Gambela dans la
province de l'lllubador pendant une semaine en decembre 1999 et y avons observe plusieurs especes
considerees comme rares en Ethiopie, entre autres le Butor etoile Botaurus stellaris, l’Epervier a pieds
courts Accipter brevipes , le Souimanga pygmee Antbreptes platurus et l’Amarante pointe Lagonosticta
nifopicta.
The lowlands of Illubador Province in extreme
western Ethiopia have a fauna and flora, landscape
and culture quite distinct from the rest of the country.
Despite easy access to the region, with daily buses
and thrice-weekly flights covering the 500 km between
Addis Ababa and Gambela (the second town of
Illubador), it has received surprisingly little
ornithological attention. The only published
descriptions of the area’s birds appear to be the recent
Ethiopian Important Bird Areas (IBA) directory5 and a
list of records from the 1970s3. These intriguing
accounts lured us to spend 7-12 December 1999
birding around Gambela (08°15'N 34°35'E; 560 m).
Despite the lack of a vehicle, we were able to explore
the woodland and river in the immediate vicinity (clO
km radius) of the town reasonably thoroughly on foot
and by bicycle, and recorded several species
apparently new to the region.
Gambela town straddles the Baro River, a reputedly
navigable tributary of the Nile. Close to the town,
riparian vegetation has been cleared almost in its
entirety for subsistence agriculture. However, on
leaving the town by bus, we noted considerable
untouched riverine forest c40 km to the east, where
the road to Metu rejoins the Baro. In the vicinity of
Gambela town, the Baro flood plain appears relatively
narrow, extending no more than 300 m from the
northern bank of the river. During our visit, some
areas were flooded and held reasonable numbers of
birds despite disturbance from grazing cattle.
Vast areas of apparently largely intact dry
deciduous woodland cloak the plains surrounding
Gambela. This habitat is varied by occasional rocky
hillocks, scattered termite mounds (supporting
thickets) and grassy depressions. The cl, 000 mm
annual rainfall occurs principally from May to October,
and our visit thus fell within the dry season. We
encountered numerous large bush fires, fuelled by
the 2m-tall understorey grass swathe. These fires are
started by local people and have been previously
thought not to be damaging1. A five million ha area to
the south and west of Gambela has been proposed as
a conservation area, Gambela National Park5.
Woodland
Pygmy Sunbird Hedydipna platura appears to have
been hitherto regarded as a vagrant to Ethiopia7, with
no breeding yet recorded and, in Sudan, occurs only
considerably further south and west4. We discovered
it to be one of the commonest sunbirds and observed
two pairs nest-building.
Two raptors considered very scarce in Ethiopia
were noted: Levant Sparrowhawk A ccipiter brevipes
was seen twice in dry woodland c5 km south of the
town, and a single Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco
monogrammicus in moister woodland adjacent to the
river.
The woodland also held a number of other species
that are local in Ethiopia and many of which are more
characteristically West African. Commonly
encountered species were Little Green Bee-eater
Merops orientals, Green Wood-hoopoe Phoeniculus
purpureus, Green-backed Eremomela Eremomela
pusilla, Foxy Cisticola Cisticola troglodytes,
Yellow-bellied Hyliota Hyliota flavigaster ,
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser
superciliosus, Black-headed Gonolek Laniarius
erythrogaster, Black-faced Firefinch Lagonosticta
larvata and Brown-rumped Bunting Emberiza
affinis. Seen once each were Black-billed Wood
Dove Turtur abyssinicus , Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Merops hirundineus , Brown Babbler Turdoides
plebejus , Gambaga Flycatcher Muscicapagambagae
and Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes.
Baro River
The sought-after Egyptian Plover Pluvianus
aegyptius appears easy to find here, although this may
change with rising water levels during the wet season,
when they are known to be nomadic8. Indeed, one
ringed at Gambela has been recovered as far afield as
Khartoum4. Three were regularly seen feeding in the
Records from Gambela, Ethiopia: Spottiswoode & Mills
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 - 97
Figure 1. Dry deciduous woodland, c5km south of
Gambela, habitat of Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes
and breeding Pygmy Sunbird Hedydipna platura , both
highly localised in Ethiopia (Claire Spottiswoode)
Figure 2. Distant fires sweep across the humid low-lying
Gambela plain that extends from the western highlands of
Ethiopia to the Sudanese border. Low granite outcrops
punctuate the gently undulating deciduous woodland of
this ornithologically curiously neglected region (Claire
Spottiswoode)
Figure 3- Anuak women leaving Gambela town. Moister
woodland such as this, close to the Baro River, supports
Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientali, Gambaga
Flycatcher Muscicapa gambagae and Yellow-bellied
Hyliota Hyliota flavigaster (Claire Spottiswoode)
Figure 4. The Baro River descends from the western
highlands to the Nile. Intriguingly. it forms substantial
swamps close to the Sudanese border, historically
supporting Shoebill Balaeniceps rex. Close to Gambela.
remnant riparian vegetation hosts Snowy-crowned Robin-
Chat Cossypba niveicapilla, while adjacent flood plains
hold Bar-breasted Lagonosticta nifopicta and Black-faced
Firefinches L. vinacea, both of which are rarely recorded in
Ethiopia (Claire Spottiswoode)
Figure 5. Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius feeds among bathers along a squalid stream in Gambela
town. Wet-season movements may take these birds as far as Khartoum (Claire Spottiswoode)
98 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Records from Gambela, Ethiopia: Spottiswoode & Mills
Figure 6. Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki (Johan Verbauck)
Figure 7. Shoebill Balaeniceps rex (Johan Verbauck)
Records from Gambela, Ethiopia: Spottiswoode & Mills
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 - 99
small, polluted stream that runs through Gambela
town into the Baro, oblivious to the throngs of bathing
villagers. A trio was also seen roosting on a rock in the
Baro, a few hundred meters upstream of the bridge.
A single Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris was
seen at dusk over the river and adjacent floodplain, at
the eastern extreme of the town. This species has not
been recorded from southern Sudan', and is
considered rare in Ethiopia7. Other notable species
associated with the Baro, all previously reported by
Nikolaus4, were Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera ,
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki, Snowy-
crowned Robin-chat Cossypha niveicapilla.
Moustached Grass-Warbler Melocichla mentalis
and Bar-breasted Firefinch Lagonosticta rufopicta.
A party of the latter included two recently fledged
young.
Limited by lack of a vehicle, we were unfortunately
unable to explore the reputedly extensive swamps to
the west, between Gambela and Jikao on the Sudanese
border. Ethiopia’s only records of Shoebill
Balaeniceps rex come from this area2 6, and it is thus
surely worthy of investigation by visitors with their
own transport. A truck departs daily for Itang, halfway
between Gambela and Jikao, but we were informed
that the swamps lie further west still.
In stark contrast to Duckworth1, we saw no large
mammals whatsoever in the Gambela area. An
annotated list of birds recorded is available from the
authors.
Acknowledgements
We thank Louis A. Hansen and Marc Herremans for
their very helpful comments on a previous draft of this
note, and Duan Biggs for his company in the field at
Gambela. •>
References
1. Duckworth, F. 1974. Gambella 1973 — a wildlife
report. Walia 3: 9-11.
2. Duckworth, F. 1974. The Whale-headed Stork in
Ethiopia. Bull. Br. Ornithol. Cl. 94: 3-4.
3. Erickson, W. 1982. Bird and mammal observations
from southwestern and western Ethiopia. Walia 8:
37-41.
4. Nikolaus, G. 1987. Distribution atlas of Sudan’s birds
with notes on habitat and status. Bonn. Zool. Monogr.
25: 1-322.
5. Tilahun, S., Edwards, S. and Wgziabher, T.B.G. 1996.
Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia: a first inventory.
Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History
Society.
6. Urban, E. K. 1967. Possible occurrence of the whale-
headed stork in Ethiopia./. East Afr. Nat. Hist. Soc.
26: 87-88.
7. Urban, E.K. and Brown, L.H. 1971. A Checklist of the
Birds of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa
University Press.
8. Urban, E.K., Fry, C.H. and Keith, S. (eds.) 1986. The
Birds of Africa. Vol 2. London, UK: Academic Press.
c/o Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology.
University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701. South Africa.
E-mail: claire@birding-africa.com or
michaelmills@webmail.co.za.
SOUTH AFRICA
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of the scenic and endemic wealth of this
region and join specialist bird guides and
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Africa: Key Routes from Cape Town to the
Kalahari. Accompany them on a tailor-made
or package tour and ensure that you see your
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100 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Records from Gambela, Ethiopia: Spottiswoode & Mills
Taxonomy of the Peregrine Falco peregrinus/
Barbary Falcon F. ( peregrinus ) pelegrinoides
complex in Morocco
Valery Schollaerf and Gilles Willemb
La taxonomie, l’identification et la repartition respective des differentes sous-especes du complexe
Faucon pelerin/Faucon de Barbarie demeurent problematiques et incompletement connues. Le Faucon
de Barbarie Falco pelegrinoides est considere soit comme une espece a part entiere, soit comme une
sous-espece du Faucon pelerin Falco peregrinus. Forsman9, qui le traite comme sous-espece, se base
pour cela entre autres sur des oiseaux marocains qu’il estime etre des intermediaires. Ceux-ci, parfois
appeles atlantis et connus du sud-ouest du Maroc, apparaissent toutefois former une population
intermediate stable entre les sous-especes minor et brookei. On observe une evolution clinale, les
oiseaux cotiers etant plus proches de brookei , tandis que les oiseaux de l’est de la vallee du Souss
(Aoulouz) sont plus proches de minor. Pour ces raisons, et en plus des differences morphologiques et
de sa cohabitation avec minor et brookei, pelegrinoides semble bien etre une espece a part entiere. Afin
de mieux comprendre sa repartition geographique et ses eventuels mouvements migratoires au Maroc,
il est demande aux observateurs de porter une attention particuliere a ces oiseaux. Notons que toutes
les observations de Faucon de Barbarie devraient etre soumises a la Commission d’Homologation des
oiseaux rares du Maroc.
Introduction
Despite the availability of excellent descriptions of
all Western Palearctic falcons, the Peregrine Falco
peregrinus complex remains problematic, in respect
of the identification, taxonomic position and respective
ranges of its subspecies. This is especially true in
Morocco, where at least four subspecies of Peregrine
occur, in addition to Barbary Falcon Falco ( peregrinus )
pelegrinoides. This paper attempts to summarise
current knowledge of the taxonomy and range of
Moroccan populations. It should be borne in mind
that there is still much to learn about these forms in
Morocco.
Moroccan populations
Most Peregrines seen in Morocco are brookei 13 , which
is known from the Mediterranean6"8,13 and Atlantic
coasts2,14-16 south to at least Essaouira (pers obs), and
has also been recorded inland14"16, notably in the High
Atlas Mountains, where it is not uncommon (pers
obs). In winter, it is also recorded further south, e.g. in
the Souss Valley. The other breeding population is the
localised and apparently rare minor4'8’13’16, which is
restricted to desert and arid areas south of the High
Atlas (pers obs), but is widespread in sub-Saharan
Africa6,12. In winter, both Eurasian calidus and
peregrinus have been recorded (pers. obs.), but neither
form breeds in Morocco.
Barbary Falcon Falco (peregrinus ) pelegrinoides
is relatively widespread, being known from the High
Atlas, Anti Atlas, Souss Valley, desert areas in the
south-east and along the coast from (at least) Oualidia
(pers obs) in the north to the extreme south, probably
as far as the Mauritanian border3^5,10,14"16. It could be
even more widespread, but north-east Morocco is
under-surveyed by ornithologists and its status there
is unclear, although uncomfirmed sightings have been
reported from this area14.
Taxonomy of Peregrine/Barbary Falcon complex in Morocco-. Schollaert & Willem
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -101
Another population, sometimes called ‘F.
peregrinus atlantis'15 or ‘Atlantic Peregrine’3, is found
mainly in the Souss Valley and along the coast near
Tamri, Agadir and the mouth of Massa River, and has
an uncertain taxonomic position which is discussed
below.
Taxonomic problems
The principal problem is the relationship between
Barbary Falcon and sympatric or parapatric forms of
Peregrine. Although differences exist in structure and
plumage between Barbary Falcon and Peregrine, the
two are certainly very close to each other10. Species
status for these two forms is principally based on their
sympatry without apparent interbreeding9, notably in
Morocco. This last point is discussed by Forsman9 who
considers some strange-plumaged individuals
photographed in Morocco to be possible hybrids
between brookei and pelegrinoides.
Another problem is the position of the so-called
‘ atlantis ’ form, about which almost nothing is known.
It has occasionally been treated as a possible new
subspecies13.
Discussion
Our knowledge of ‘ atlantis ’ leads us to believe that it
cannot be a hybrid, principally because, in the Souss
Valley, pairs of ‘ atlantis ’ breed together (pers obs)
and no other form of Peregrine is known to occur
during the breeding season within its range. Moreover,
it occurs only in south-west Morocco, where it is not
uncommon, but has not been reported elsewhere.
We do not consider them to be intermediate
between pelegrinoides and brookei ( contra Forsman9).
Indeed, Forsman9 depicts two brookei- like ‘ atlantis ’,
which are typically seen along the coast (pers obs),
that he considers to be ‘Peregrine/Barbary Falcons’
and intermediate between the two. In our opinion this
population is obviously close to brookei , especially in
coastal areas, and that elsewhere they are closer to
minor than to pelegrinoides , with those of the eastern
Souss Valley even more similar to minor. We are,
therefore, convinced that they form a stable
intermediate population between brookei and minor ,
intergrading with the former along the coast (south of
Essaouira) and with minor east and south-east of the
Souss Valley.
Size of coastal ‘ atlantis ’ is very close to brookei
(and pelegrinoides ), but appears smaller in the east.
Structure is very close to minor and brookei , but not to
pelegrinoides , which has different proportions: tail
(relative to wings) longer and marginally wider, body
shorter, more prominent head, wings narrower
(appearing longer) and less heavy jizz. Their flight
actions are also different. Notably when pursuing
prey, Barbary has parrot-like wingbeats, unlike
‘ atlantis ’, brookei or minor. Underparts in coastal
‘ atlantis ’ are barred like brookei , but in the east they
are less marked and (more) tinged rufous, like minor.
They are, however, never spotted like some
pelegrinoides. The head pattern is very similar to
minor , with rufous-tinged cheeks, occasionally some
rufous on the nape (as in some brookei ), moustachials
narrower than in most brookei , but similar to most (but
not all) mmorand broader than in pelegrinoides (pers
obs). Tail pattern is like brookei and minor. Underwing
pattern is regularly barred like brookei and minor ,
with no darker area on the wingtips and trailing edges
like pelegrinoides. Upperparts coloration is darker
than in pelegrinoides , relatively dark in coastal birds
and very dark in eastern birds, which approach minor
in this aspect. Note that all these differences relate to
adults.
Interestingly, ‘ atlantis breeds in the same area as
both Barbary and Lanner Falcons Falco biaimicus
erlangeri , eg in Aoulouz where the three taxa breed in
the same gorge (pers obs).
Conclusion
Barbary Falcon is sympatric with both brookei and
minor without interbreeding. It is also widely
sympatric with an unusual form of Peregrine, 4 atlantis ’,
which appears to be intermediate between minor and
brookei (with which ‘ atlantis ’ is allopatric), and is
often reported in south-west Morocco. Therefore,
and due to clear, well-known differences in the
structure and plumage of Barbary Falcon compared to
Peregrine, Barbary Falcon is best treated as a species.
However, at least in Morocco, the respective range
of all populations of Peregrine are still imperfectly
known, as are their seasonal movements. Moreover,
the range of Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides is also
poorly understood, especially in the north of the
country. Some movements are suspected but have
not been proven. Therefore, all records of these taxa
are welcome, and a description of all Barbary Falcons
seen in the country should be submitted to the
Moroccan Rare Birds Committee (c/o Dr. Jacques
Franchimont, Quartier Abbas Lmsahdi, Rue n°6, n°22,
VN 50.000 Meknes, Morocco). 'f:
References
1. Barlow, C., Wacher, T. and Disley, T. 1997. A Field
Guide to Birds of The Gambia and Senegal.
Robertsbridge: Pica Press.
2. Beaman, M. and Madge, S. 1998. Handbook of Bird
Identification. London, UK: A. & C. Black.
3. Bergier, P., Franchimont, J., Schollaert, V., Thevenot,
M. and CHM 1996. Les oiseaux rares au Maroc.
102 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Taxonomy of Peregrine/Barbary Falcon complex in Morocco : Schollaert & Willem
Rapport de la Commission d’Homologation
Marocaine 1. Porphyrio 8: 151-158.
4. Bergier, P., Franchimont, J., Thevenot, M. and CHM
1997. Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la
Commission d’Homologation Marocaine 2. Porphyrio
9: 165-173.
5. Bergier, P., Franchimont, J., Thevenot, M. and CHM
1999- Les oiseaux rares au Maroc. Rapport de la
Commission d’Homologation Marocaine 3. Porphyrio
10-11: 254-263
6. Brown, L.H., Urban E.K. and Newman, K. (eds) 1982.
The Birds of Africa. Vol 1. London, UK: Academic
Press.
7. Cramp, S. and Simmons. K.E.L. (eds) 1980. Birds of
the Western Palearctic. Vol 2. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
8. Etchecopar, R.D. and Hue, F. 1967. The Birds of
North Africa. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
9. Forsman, D. 1999- The Raptors of Europe and the
Middle East. London, UK: T. & A. D. Poyser.
10. Gensbol B. 1984. Collins Guide to the Birds of Prey
of Britain and Europe. London, UK: Collins.
11. Harris A., Shirihai, H. and Christie, D. A. 1996. The
Macmillan Birders Guide to European and Middle
Eastern Birds. London, UK: Macmillan.
12. Kemp, A. and Kemp, M. 1998. Birds of Prey of Africa
and its islands. London, UK: New Holland.
13. Schollaert, V. and Dufourny, H. 1995. Identification
et statut du Faucon de Barbarie au Maroc. Porphyrio
7: 1-4.
14. Schollaert, V. and Franchimont, J. 1995. Chronique
Ornithologique du GOMAC pour 1994. Porphyrio!
96-146.
15. Schollaert, V. and Franchimont, J. 1996. Chronique
Ornithologique du GOMAC pour 1995. Porphyrio 8:
94-150.
16. Schollaert, V. , Moumni, T. , Fareh, M. and Gambrotta,
C. 1994. Chronique Ornithologique du GOMAC pour
1993. Porphyrio 6: 1-108.
South Africa: 2 weeks: Nov 2000
Kenya: 3 weeks: Feb 2001
Tunisia: 1 week: Mar 2001
Morocco: 2 weeks: Apr 2001
Kenya & Tanzania: 3 weeks: May 2001
DIY East Africa Tours
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17. Zimmerman, D. A., Turner, D. and Pearson D.J. 1996.
Birds of Kenya and northern Tanzania. London,
UK: A. & C. Black.
a 57 rue de Gerlache, 1040 Brussels, Belgium.
b 7 rue Henri Conscience, 1800 Vilvorde, Belgium.
Appendix 1. Moroccan records of Barbary Falcon
Falco ( peregrinus ) pelegrinoides
Records accepted by MRBC
Taroudannt & Souss Valley: three
Aoulouz: one
Jorf/Erfoud: two
Merzouga: one
Boumalne-du-Dades/EI Keela M’Gouna: four
Mahmid: one
Tamri: one
Agadir/Massa: three
Recent records awaiting decision by MRBC
Oualidia: one
Tizi’n Tichka: one
Tamri: one
Goulimine/Tan-Tan: three
Village Ethiopia PLC
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Email : village.Ethiopia@telecom.net.et
Taxonomy of Peregrine/Barbary Falcon complex in Morocco-. Schollaert & Willem
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -103
Notes on the breeding biology of several species
in north-west Africa
Peter Castell
Lors de visites recentes au Maroc et aux lies du Cap Vert, de nouvelles donnees ont ete obtenues
concernant la biologie des especes suivantes: Ammomane elegante Ammomanes cincturus (description
de l’oisillon), Rubiette de Moussier Phoenicurus moussieri (sites de nidification). Fauvette de l’Atlas
Sylvia deserticola (description de l’oisillon), Fauvette naine Sylvia nana (incubation et description de
l’oisillon) et Bruant striole Emberiza striolata (description de foisillon).
During recent visits to Morocco and the Cape
Verde Islands, several colleagues and I have
made a number of interesting observations concern-
ing the breeding biology of some bird species
characteristic of these regions. Details of these records
are presented below.
Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cincturus
Nestlings of this species do not appear to have been
previously described. I found several nests on the
island of Sal, Cape Verde Islands, in October 1998.
Each was constructed within a hollow on the ground
beneath and almost completely screened by an
overhanging rock. The nestlings are altricial and
downy, with long thick buff down on the head and
upperparts. The mouth is orange-yellow, with the
typical five spot markings of the lark family, ie two
black spots at the rear of the tongue, one at the tip, and
one at the inside tip of each mandible. Gape flanges
are yellowish white.
Moussier’s Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri
Usual nest sites for this species are on the ground,
sheltered by a low bush or tussock, or in a recess in the
side of a low bank or tree, and occasionally in low
dense bushes 30-60 cm above ground. In late May
1999, we found c30 nests in open woodland along the
coastal road north of Agadir, Morocco. Approximately
half were in tree forks, typically just below 2 m above
ground; many were in discarded tin cans, not only on
the ground, but also up to 2 m high in bushes. One
nest was constructed within a pair of trousers, which
had been left hanging over a tree branch, c2 m above
ground. These nests were at all stages, with eggs,
small and large young, and were probably all second
broods. In other parts of the country, we found nests
in April, and saw many flying broods in late April.
Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola
In April-May 1999, we found five occupied nests of
this species in the Atlas Mountains, south of Midelt,
southern Morocco. All were situated low (typically 50
cm) in sage bushes, and in the third quarter of April
most were under construction or contained incomplete
clutches. We established that incubation, which takes
13 days, commences with the next-to-last egg laid in
the clutch. The role of the sexes in incubation appears
to be unknown, but we saw only females incubating.
Nestlings are altricial and naked at hatching. Skin is
dark pink, darker on head and back. The mouth is
orange-yellow. There are two distinct and elongated
black markings, one at either side of the base of the
tongue, with a faint dark narrow line from the tip of
each, continuing along the edge of the tongue, and
converging near the tip. These are joined near the
base by a faint dark marking, which tapers to a point
halfway down the centre of the tongue. Gape flanges
are pale yellow. Both adults were feeding the resultant
young in late May.
Desert Warbler Sylvia nana
In April 1999, we found four nests of this species near
Merzouga, south of Erfoud, in southern Morocco. The
1. Nestling of Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cincturus on
Sal, Cape Verde Islands, on 31 October 1998 (Peter
Castell)
2. Habitat of Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola near
Midelt, southern Morocco, April 1999 (Peter Castell)
3. Nest and eggs of Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola
near Midelt, southern Morocco, April 1999 (Peter
Castell)
4. Fledgling Tristram’s Warbler Sylvia deserticola , aged
ell days, near Midelt, southern Morocco, May 1999
(Peter Castell)
5. Habitat of Desert Warbler Sylvia nana near Merzouga,
southern Morocco, April 1999 (Peter Castell)
6. Nest and eggs of Desert Warbler Sylvia nana near
Merzouga, southern Morocco, April 1999 (Peter Castell)
7. Newly hatched nestlings of House Bunting Emberiza
striolata in southern Morocco (Peter Castell)
104 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Breeding biology of several species in north-west Africa: Castell
Breeding biology of several species in north-west Africa: Castell
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -105
area was mainly flat open desert, with slightly lower
areas and wadis with scattered thick bushes. Sitting in
the car at the edge of one of these bushy areas, we
played a recording of the song of Desert Warbler. One
(the male, we suggest, from behaviour) immediately
appeared, alarm called, and perched in a bush c3 m
from the car, and a second (the presumed female)
appeared within a further 30 secs. As soon as the tape
was stopped, both flew to two adjacent bushes, within
clOO m of the car. On searching these bushes, the male
flew from one, and the female was discovered
incubating two eggs in a nest in the other. All four
nests were elm above ground and well concealed in
thick thorn bushes, c2 m tall. We established that
incubation commences when the final egg has been
laid and occupies 12 days. Clutch size is 2-3 eggs.
Nestlings are altricial and naked at hatching, with
flesh-pink skin. The mouth is orange-yellow with two
dark elongated markings, one on either side of the
tongue. Gape flanges are pale yellow.
House Bunting Emberiza striolata
Nestlings of this species have not been adequately
described. This is rather surprising given its relative
abundance in and around human settlements in North
Africa. Plate 7 depicts nestlings in southern Morocco
in April 1999- They are altricial and downy, with long
and dense whitish-grey down on the head and
upperparts. Mouth and tongue are deep pink, the
latter with prominent pale pink rear spurs, and pale
yellow edges and tip. Gape flanges are whitish
yellow, (f,
19 Berry Drive, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port. Cheshire
CH662LN, UK.
African Bird Club Conservation Fund Update
• Four further conservation
awards have been made since the
last Bulletin An award of UK£400
was made to Aride Island Nature
Reserve, Seychelles, to produce an
informative reserve guide in the local
language, Creole. ABC also helped
fund Tadesse Woldemariam Gole’s
recent attendance at the 10th Annual
Conference of the Biological Society
of Ethiopia, where he presented a
paper on bird diversity and density in
montane forests on the country’s
central plateau, was funded by the
Club. The Albertine Rift Conservation
Society has been awarded UK£1,000
towards a planned conference on
Species Data Mobilisation and
Sharing. The Nigerian Conservation
Society was granted UK£1,000
towards a field expedition to Cross
Rivers National Park, but this project
has unfortunately been postponed
due to funding difficulties.
• ABC/NHBS Book Awards These
awards again attracted much interest,
with four high-quality applications.
Congratulations to the Conservation
Society of Sierra Leone, Bureau
d’Etudes Scientifiques et Techniques
(Democratic Republic of Congo) and
Nature Kenya (two applications) who
each received UK£100 worth of books.
Applications are now invited for the
2000/2001 awards. Sincere thanks are
due to the Natural History Book Service
for continued sponsorship of the
scheme.
• ABC Expedition Award The first
ABC Expedition Award has been won
by a multi-disciplinary expedition to
the Annobon, one of the Gulf of
Guinea islands off the African west
coast. Annobon supports
internationally important seabird
populations, as well as five species of
passerines endemic to the Gulf of
Guinea group. The expedition,
comprising Spanish and local
biologists, will undertake a census of
seabird populations (last performed
in 1959) and research the habitat
requirements of the endemic
landbirds. Other members of the
team will survey marine and
terrestrial molluscs, and undertake
botanical surveys. The deadline for
applications for the 2001 ABC
Expedition Award is 31 January 2001.
• ABC at the PAOC The 10th Pan-
African Ornithological Congress
(PAOC) will be held in Kampala,
Uganda, in September 2000. ABC has
allocated UK£2,500 to help fund
African ornithologists who would
otherwise be unable to attend. ABC
intends to play an active role at the
PAOC and a full report will be
published in the next Bulletin.
For further information, see p. 7 of
this bulletin. ($)
106 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Breeding biology of several species in north-west Africa: Castell
Fishing owls at Agenebode, Nigeria
Anthony Turk
L'auteur presente des observations de la Chouette-pecheuse de Bouvier Scotopelia houvieri faites a
Agenebode, Nigeria, en 1995 et juillet 1999- Les caracteristiques du plumage et les vocalisations des
chouettes pecheuses de cette localite indiquent qu'il s’agit bien de cette espece et non de la Chouette-
pecheuse rousse S. ussheri. II y a tres peu de mentions anterieures de S. houvieri au Nigeria.
V’ery few sightings of Vermiculated Fishing Owl
Scotopelia houvieri have been reported in Nigeria.
Elgood3 mentioned four records, those near Lagos
representing the most westerly ever, apart from a
single taken by F X Stampfli in Liberia in 1885, and
considered 'undoubted' by Bannerman2 but
questioned by GatterL This is the only record west of
the Togo-Benin Gap.
In 1995, Phil Hall observed a fishing owl near a
village on the banks of the Ogwe River, a tributary of
the Niger, near Agenebode, Nigeria. Hall is an
experienced and very knowledgeable observer, and
noted that it was paler and more rufous than the
published descriptions of Vermiculated, and was
therefore possibly a Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia
ussheri , which has not been recorded east of AccraL
He returned to the site several months later and
discovered the remains of a fishing owl that had been
eaten by a villager (P Hall pers comm). Some of the
remains were sent to the Natural History Museum
(Tring) for identification but no firm conclusions could
be reached as to the identification.
An opportunity to visit this region arose in July
1999- The fishing owls are found along the Ogwe
River, on a farm managed by the Leventis group of
companies, at Weppa (06°57'N 06°35'E). Although the
farm is no longer operated on a commercial basis, it is
the home of an agricultural college established for
local young farmers. People from the fishing villages
cultivate some land near the river, but the farm is
otherwise being allowed to revert to its original state
of Guinea Savanna.
The Ogwe River floods during the rainy season
and remains high for c6 months of the year. This
results in areas along the river being unsuitable for
cultivation and has ensured the preservation of the
riverine forest where the fishing owls are found. The
river is slow moving and meandering even during the
rainy season, when it rises 6 m above its dry-season
level and floods 100s of metres of adjoining forest. In
this habitat, there is an abundance of low branches
where the owls perch searching for prey. The local
fishermen consider the fishing owls’ favourite food to
be Clarias catfish (locally called flat-heads), which
are extremely abundant in this area and have primitive
lungs that force them to surface regularly for air (R
Markham pers. comm.). On one occasion, I flushed a
fishing owl while it was feeding and retrieved a
sufficient part of the remains to identify it as a Clarias ,
while another was seen in flight with what was clearly
a catfish in its talons. Along the c9 km of river that flow
through the farm there is one lake and several
backwaters and pools, which remain wet in the dry
season, providing additional hunting grounds for the
owls.
With the help of a local guide, I had 27 sightings
of 8-9 owls in 25 days. Individual variation in plumage
coloration was extremely noticeable. Some had heavy,
dark markings on the upper breast and head, while
others had less broad brown streaking. The upperparts,
head and mantle also varied individually, from pale
rufous to darker brown; and one was quite grey in
appearance. However, all had the ground colour of
the underparts off-white, while the bill was pale cream
to yellow, as in Vermiculated Fishing Owl. In Rufous
Fishing Owl the underparts have a pale rufous wash
and the bill is darker in appearance1. All had dark eyes
and pale yellow legs and feet.
Recordings were also made of their calls. Only
one recording of Rufous Fishing Owl is available for
comparison, made by R Ranft of a female at London
Zoo. At Agenebode two distinct calls were noted: a
‘wail’, which on one occasion was repeated for over
45 min with intervals ranging from 15 s at the start to
over 70 s, before ceasing altogether, and, secondly, a
‘hoot’ that, on occasions, sounded like a duet. Some
calls recorded at Agenebode are very similar to the
Ranft recording, but most resembled those made by R
Wilkinson, F Dowsett-Lemaire and J M Lernould of
Vermiculated Fishing Owl (all recordings deposited at
the British Library National Sound Archive).
Researchers or birders wishing to study the fishing
owls should contact Phil Hall in Lagos, e-mail:
110226.2654@compuserve.com or fax on: (234)
12691245. Comfortable guesthouse accommodation
is available and visitors are made very welcome.
Fishing owls at Agenebode, Nigeria: Turk
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 - 107
2
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank A.P. Leventis and the Leventis
Foundation for funding the study, Phil Hall for his
logistical skills and advice, and Richard Markham,
IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria. The International Owl Society
provided equipment and Daniel Mochi assisted in
locating the owls. The manuscript was significantly
improved by helpful comments from Dr Richard Shore
and an anonymous referee, f.
References
1. Atkinson, P.W., Koroma, A.P., Ranft. R., Rowe, S.G.
and Wilkinson, R. 1994. The status, identification
and vocalisations of African fishing owls with
particular reference to the Rufous Fishing Owl
Scotopelia ussheri. Bull. ABC 1: 67-71.
2. Bannerman, D.A. 1933- The Birds of Tropical West
Africa. Vol 3- London: Crown Agents for the Colonies.
3. Elgood, J.H. 1994. The Birds of Nigeria: an annotated
check-list. BOU Check-list No. 4. Second edition.
Tring: British Ornithologists' l:nion.
4. Gatter, W. 1998. Birds of Liberia. Robertsbridge: Pica
Press.
5. Marchant, S. 1954. The relationship of the southern
Nigerian avifauna to those of upper and lower
Guinea. Ibis 96: 371-379.
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology'. Monks Wood, Abbots
Ripton, Cambs. PEI 7 2LS, UK.
Figure 1. Dark form of Vermiculated Fishing Owl Scotopelia
bouvieri, Agenebode, Nigeria (A.P. Leventis)
Figure 2. More typical colour form of Vermiculated Fishing
Owl Scotopelia bouvieri, Agenebode, Nigeria
(A.P. Leventis)
Figure 3. Flooded forest, Agenebode, Nigeria, habitat of
Vermiculated Fishing Owl Scotopelia bouvieri
(Anthony Turk)
108 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Fishing owls at Agenebode, Nigeria: Turk
Suspected breeding of Lesser Flamingo
Phoeniconaias minor in Mauritania
Olivier Hamerlynck and Brahim ould Messaoud
Suite a la restauration du regime d'inondations saisonnieres, effectuee dans le cadre des amenagements
pour le Parc National du Diawling, des observations d’immatures du Flamant nain Phoeniconaias minor
dans le bas-delta du fleuve Senegal suggerent que l’espece a repris sa nidification, qui n’avait plus ete
confirmee depuis 1965.
On 3 October 1998 we observed two very dark
brown immature flamingos at Chott Boul, a lagoon
in the Senegal River Delta, in Mauritania4. They
appeared smaller and browner than the immature
Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber that
commonly occur in the area. However, as they flew
off quickly and there were no other flamingos present
for direct comparison, we could not be certain of our
tentative identification of Lesser Flamingo
Phoeniconaias minor.
On 13 September 1999 we were more fortunate.
In the late afternoon, a group of 10 adult Lesser
Flamingo was present in the west part of the lagoon,
with nine immature flamingos, six of which were dark
brown with wholly black bills, and three were larger,
more greyish and possessed the typical bicoloured
(bluish-grey and black) bill of immature Greater
Flamingo (a characteristic not depicted in Cramp &
Simmons2 or Brown et aP). The shape of the bill,
especially the lower mandible (much more angular in
Lesser Flamingo) was clearly observed and compared
with the Greater Flamingos present. The birds were
photographed (see Figs. 1 & 2). A group of cl, 700
Figure 1. Adult Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor ,
Chott Boul, Senegal Delta, Mauritania, September 1999
(Olivier Hamerlynck)
adult Lesser Flamingo was observed circling overhead
and c50 more were settled in the east part of the
lagoon. On 29 October 1999, at the same site, three
adult and five juvenile Lesser Flamingo, with more
greyish plumage, were present.
Discussion
The only previous record of successful breeding by
Lesser Flamingo in West Africa dates from 19657 at a
site c20 km north of Chott Boul lagoon, in the Aftout
es Saheli. A failed breeding attempt was noted in the
same area in 1988, when the area was flooded5.
Following restoration of the flood regime in the
Mauritanian lower delta, around Diawling National
Park3, important concentrations of Lesser Flamingo
(up to 8,000) have been observed year-round6. In
particular, 1998 and 1999 were especially favourable
years, because large quantities of fresh water from the
Senegal River reached the hypersaline Chott Boul
lagoon, and even flooded the southern Aftout es
Saheli basin, restoring productivity to these areas, as
exemplified by the high concentrations of waterfowl
often present (maximum numbers on the 200 ha
Figure 2. Adult and immature Lesser Flamingos
Phoeniconaias minor and (on left) three immature Greater
Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber, Chott Boul, Senegal
Delta, Mauritania, September 1999 (Olivier Hamerlynck)
Suspected breeding of Lesser Flamingo in Mauritania: Hamerlynck & ould Messaoud Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2- 109
lagoon included 200 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps
nigricollis, 1 ,000 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus,
2,300 Greater Flamingo, 5,600 Eurasian Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta and 800 Slender-billed Gull
Lams genei).
Other known breeding areas of Lesser Flamingo
(East African Rift Lakes and Namibia) are very distant,
and it appears highly possible that the immatures
observed at Chott Boul were bred in the immediate
vicinity, probably in July-August. Moreover, the
observation of the presumed same juveniles in late
October suggests they are sedentary. Aerial surveys of
the area, which is almost wholly inaccessible, planned
for the 2000 breeding season, may confirm breeding.
More extensive flooding of the southern Aftout would
probably be highly beneficial to many bird species,
and permit the re-establishment of the former breeding
colonies of Greater Flamingo, White Pelican and
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia. cf,
References
1. Brown, L.H., Urban, E.K. and Newman, K. (eds)
1982. The Birds of Africa. Vol 1. London. UK:
Academic Press.
2. Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds) 1977. Birds of
the Western Palearctic. Vol 1. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
3. Hamerlynck, O., Baba, M.L. ould and Duvail, S. 1999.
The Diawling National Park: joint management for
the rehabilitation of a degraded coastal wetland.
Vida Sylvestre Neotrop. (7) 1: 59-69.
4. Hamerlynck, O., Baba, M.L. ould and El Hacen, M.
ould submitted. Le Chott Boul, site menace. Etudes
sahariennes et Ouest-africaines.
5. Lamarche, B. 1988. Liste commentee des oiseaux de
Mauritanie. Etudes Sahariennes et Ouest-Africaines
1 (4): 1-164.
6. Messaoud, B. ould, Hamerlynck. O. and Diagana.
C.H. 1998. Liste commentee des oiseaux du has-delta
mauritanien et du Parc National du Diawling.
Nouakchott: Ministere du Developpement Rural et
de l’Environnement — Parc National du Diawling et
IUCN.
7. Naurois, R. de 1969. Peuplement et cycle de
reproduction des oiseaux de la cote occidentale
d’Afrique. Mem. Mus. Nat. d'Histoire Naturelle Ser.
A. Zool. 57: 1-312.
Parc National du Diawling, BP 3935, Nouakchott ,
Republique Islamique de Mauritanie. E-mail: iucn-
mauritanie@pactec.org.
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110- Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 Suspected breeding of Lesser Flamingo in Mauritania: Hamerlynck & ould Messaoud
Behaviour of Banded Kestrel Falco zoniventris in
western Madagascar: a possible foraging
association with Sickle-billed Vanga Falculea palliata
Ruth E. Tingay and Martin Gilbert
Des observations sur le comportement du Faucon a ventre raye Falco zoniventris dans l’ouest de
Madagascar semblent indiquer que cette espece s’associe avec la Falculie mantelee Falculea palliata.
Les auteurs evoquent la possibility d’une association dans la recherche de nourriture, permettant au
faucon d’exploiter les insectes deranges par la Falculie.
Introduction
During a study of Madagascar Fish Eagle Haliaeetus
vociferoides in June-October 19997, we made
observations of all bird species encountered on a
casual basis8. The endemic Banded Kestrel Falco
zoniventris , considered relatively common in western
Madagascar4, was seen infrequently throughout the
period. This may be more a reflection of its rather
elusive nature than true abundance6. Daily
observations of up to four were made at two localities
between mid- August and mid-October 1999- Only
two were observed together, and as the two sites were
less than 1 km apart, it is possible that the same
individuals were involved.
Much of the Banded Kestrel’s natural history is
poorly known6, although descriptions of its foraging
and breeding behaviour are available from the north-
east of its range3,6. We present observations of a
Banded Kestrel Falco zoniventris
by Craig Robson
possible foraging association with the endemic Sickle-
billed Vanga Falculea palliata. This behaviour may
be peculiar to the species’ western range only, as
Sickle-billed Vanga does not extend as far east as
Banded Kestrel4’9.
Locality and habitat
The study area lies within the Antsalova wetland
region of western Madagascar, clO km inland of the
Mozambique Channel, and includes three lakes,
Befotaka, Soamalipo and Ankerika. It is situated at the
southern limits of the dry deciduous Tsimembo Forest,
which in this area has a mean canopy height of
12-15 m, a well-developed shrub layer and many
vines; there is little or no herbaceous stratum and
epiphytic plants are rare4. Annual rainfall is 1,000-
2,000 mm, and there is a 6-8 month dry season
(typically May-November), while mean monthly tem-
peratures are greater than 20°C1.
All observations of Banded Kestrels were made at
two localities on the shores of Lake Soamalipo; one on
the west shore, where intensive observations were
conducted at an active Madagascar Fish Eagle nest,
and one on the east shore, around The Peregrine
Fund’s Camp, Ankivahivahy. Banded Kestrels were
always observed at degraded forest edges, adjacent to
the lake.
Sickle-billed Vanga behaviour
The largest representative of the endemic Vangidae
family, Sickle-billed Vanga is known to forage in
gregarious and noisy groups of up to 204. Their
principal foraging technique is to use the long, slender
bill as a probe to glean insects from the surfaces of tree
trunks and branches, and to extract prey from crevices
in the bark9.
Two discrete groups of foraging Sickle-billed
Vangas were observed daily at both localities, each
comprising 18-22 individuals. Both groups foraged
systematically throughout their territories, and, as a
Behaviour of Banded Kestrel in western Madagascar. Tingay & Gilbert
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -111
Sickle-billed Vanga Falculea palliate
by Craig Robson
group, each would cover the full height of each tree
from ground level to the canopy. Both groups fed in
specific areas at certain times each day, suggesting a
routine foraging pattern. Foraging activity was most
noticeable at dawn and dusk, due to the highly vocal
chorus of all members of the group, characteristic of
this species4.
Possible foraging association
West-shore locality observations
Despite a relatively intensive search effort from 24
June 1999 onwards, the first observation of a Banded
Kestrel was not made until 10 August 1999, at the
west-shore locality. An aerial pursuit between two
Banded Kestrels was seen along the forest edge, with
both individuals calling (the call was similar to the
defensive call of both Madagascar Kestrel Falco
newtoni and Lesser Vasa Parrot Coracopsis nigra).
This behaviour was interpreted as a territorial dispute,
as the first Banded Kestrel was pursued out of the area
and the other was observed perching prominently
after the chase. This individual was believed to be an
adult, based on its overall grey plumage4, with yellow
legs and bare yellow ocular skin. Its underparts
appeared much more heavily banded than those of
female Frances’s Sparrowhawk Accipiter francesii.
The next observation of a Banded Kestrel at this
site was made on 31 August 1999. One was observed
perching in the canopy, at cl7.30 hr (dusk), in close
proximity to a flock of foraging Sickle-billed Vanga.
The Banded Kestrel intently followed the Sickle-billed
Vangas movements, with occasional head-bobbing
behaviour. The Sickle-billed Vangas moved through
the area in typical foraging mode, with no apparent
interaction between the flock and the Banded Kes-
trel, which remained perched for a further 20 min but
appeared to become more alert (head-bobbing) as it
became darker. At 18.00 hr it suddenly flew up above
the canopy and appeared to aerial-hunt insects in the
erratic flight manner of a crepuscular insectivorous
bat. It emitted what we described as a ‘sonar’-type call,
reminiscent of an echolocation sound heard on a
radar. Darkness at 18.06 hr precluded further
observations. This appears to be the first account of
aerial foraging behaviour in this species. Although
the light was too poor to ascertain if this individual
was catching insects with its mouth, the presence of
rictal bristles on Banded Kestrel (noted on all adults
observed by us) may indicate that this foraging
technique is not unusual in the species (cf nightjar
Caprimulgus spp.). However, it appears to be
undocumented among the Falconidae, which
generally grasp prey with their feet.
A Banded Kestrel was observed daily in the same
tree and at the same time during the following month;
its appearance coincided with the arrival of the Sickle-
billed Vanga flock on each occasion. Numerous
hunting forays by the Banded Kestrel were observed.
These consisted of prolonged periods of motionless
perching, with head-bobbing movements made
towards the area where the flock was foraging, before
suddenly leaving its perch to make a short, rapid flight
to an adjacent tree, swooping upon insect prey perhaps
disturbed by the activity of the Sickle-billed Vanga
flock. Prey was not specifically identified, other than
as small invertebrates. This foraging technique has
been described23’6, although this appears to be the
first account of a possible foraging association with
Sickle-billed Vanga.
East-shore locality observations
The first observation of Banded Kestrel was on 20
September 1999, when an adult was observed perch
hunting in close proximity to a foraging group of
Sickle-billed Vangas at dusk. Hunting forays by the
kestrel were identical to those described from the
west shore, with the falcon catching insects in trees
recently vacated by the Sickle-billed Vanga flock. The
Sickle-billed Vanga group of 22 individuals was
observed to roost in a low bush (<3 m high), and the
Banded Kestrel was lost to sight in the darkness at
18.10 hr.
The following morning, just before dawn, an adult
Banded Kestrel was observed perching close to the
Sickle-billed Vanga roost bush. The group left the
roost at dawn in a noisy flock, and began to forage
systematically through the forest. The Banded Kestrel
followed the group for c30 min and further hunting
112 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Behaviour of Banded Kestrel in western Madagascar: Tingay & Gilbert
forays were observed. Eventually, the Sickle-billed
Vangas flew a short distance across the lagoon (<100
m) and the kestrel followed, until we lost sight of it as
the flock continued into the forest. That evening,
shortly before dusk, we again located an adult Banded
Kestrel perching in close proximity to the Sickle-
billed Vanga roost, as the group was heard approaching
through the forest. The kestrel began head-bobbing
in their direction, before flying towards them. The
same behaviour was observed at the same place and
time, each dawn and dusk, over the next 22 days. It is
unclear whether the Banded Kestrel used the calls of
the approaching Sickle-billed Vanga flock as a cue to
a hunting opportunity, or whether it chose to perch in
the same position at the same time in anticipation of
the group’s arrival.
Lack of courtship and nesting behaviour
A second adult Banded Kestrel was observed at the
east-shore site on 6 October 1999, hunting
independently of the first adult (and was seen over the
next six days until our study ended). No interaction
was observed between the two individuals, eg no
territorial disputes and, conversely, no courtship
behaviour, although they were seen perched together
in the same tree for several minutes, apparently perch
hunting but facing in opposite directions. This apparent
lack of courtship and/or nesting behaviour was
surprising, given that Colebrook-Robjent3 reported
courtship behaviour in late September, and Thorstrom6
breeding activity in October. Both authors’
observations were made in the north-east of the
species’ range, rather than the west, perhaps indicating
a difference in timing of breeding activity. However,
it is also possible that a failed breeding attempt had
been made, or that both individuals were non-
breeders. We searched for nest-sites at the east-shore
location, following reports by Langrand4 that Banded
Kestrel uses old, disused nests of Sickle-billed Vangas,
although no evidence was found to support this.
Cade2 speculated that the species may also utilise
disused nests of Hammerkop Scopus umbretta, which
is present in western Madagascar4, but was not
observed during this study8. Banded Kestrel nests in
epiphytes elsewhere within its range3’6, but the rarity
of this vegetation in dry deciduous forests suggests
that, in the west, nests must be placed in different
structures. Safford & Duckworth5 refer to a Banded
Kestrel visiting a nest (resembling that of a Carrion
Crow Corvus corone ) in south-west Madagascar, but
we are unaware of any other documented informa-
tion. As such, we suggest further research to investigate
the nesting and breeding habits of Banded Kestrel in
dry deciduous forests of west Madagascar, which
may differ significantly from Banded Kestrels in the
north-east wet forests.
Acknowledgements
Our observations were made under the auspices of
The Peregrine Fund’s Madagascar Project, and we
thank their staff for logistical support. RET would also
like to thank The Peregrine Fund (USA), University of
Nottingham (UK), Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (USA)
and Jim Brett Conservation Fund (USA) for financial
support. Rick Watson, Russell Thorstrom, Michele
Clarke and Frank Hawkins made valuable comments,
which improved earlier drafts of this paper. 'f>
References
1. Berkelman, J. 1997. Habitat requirements and
foraging ecology of the Madagascar Fish Eagle. PhD
Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic and State University,
Blacksburg.
2. Cade, T. J. 1982. Falcons of the World. Ithaca: Cornell
University Press.
3. Colebrook-Robjent, J.F.R. 1973- The breeding of the
Madagascar Banded Kestrel. Bull. Br. Ornithol. Cl.
93: 108-111.
4. Langrand, 0. 1990. Guide to the Birds of Madagascar.
New Haven: Yale University Press.
5 . Safford, R. & Duckworth, W. 1990. A wildlife inventory
ofMarojejy Reserve, Madagascar. Cambridge, UK:
International Council for Bird Preservation (Study
Report 40).
6. Thorstrom, R. 1999- A description of nests, diet and
behaviour of the Banded Kestrel. Ostrich 70: 149—
151.
7. Tingay, R.E. 2000. Sex, lies and dominance: paternity
and behaviour of extra-pair Madagascar Fish Eagles.
MSc Thesis, University of Nottingham.
8. Tingay, R. E. & Gilbert, M. 1999- Annotated list of the
birds of Lacs Soamalipo, Befotaka and Ankerika
(Three Lakes) and surrounding Tsimembo Forest,
western Madagascar. Newsletter of the Working Group
on Madagascar Birds 9 (1): 26-30.
9. Yamagishi, S. & Eguchi, K. 1996. Comparative
foraging ecology of Madagascar vangids (Vangidae).
Ibis 138: 283-290.
aThe Peregrine Fund (Madagascar Project), BP 4113.
Antananarivo, Madagascar and Centre for
Environmental Management, School of Geography.
University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. E-mail:
tingay@geography. nottingha m.ac. uk.
h Greta Bank Farm, Brundholme Road. Keswick.
Cumbria, CA12 4NS, UK.
Behaviour of Banded Kestrel in western Madagascar: Tingay & Gilbert
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2- 113
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114 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Advertisement
The sad story of Alaotra Grebe
Tachybaptus rufolavatus
Frank Hawkins, Rado Andriamasimanana, Sam The Seing and Zarine Rabeony
Le Grebe de Delacour Tachybaptus rufolavatus , espece endemique du centre-est de Madagascar,
semble toujours avoir ete peu commun. Les donnees disponibles, relativement peu abondantes,
semblent indiquer qu’il est devenu nettement plus rare au debut des annees 1980 et est maintenant
quasi-certainement eteint, et cela peut-etre depuis une decennie. Lors d’inventaires ornithologiques
effectues de fin-avril a mi-mai 1999, l’espece n’a pu etre localisee. Un certain nombre de causes pour
son declin sont avancees. La degradation des zones humides du Lac Alaotra, due a l’utilisation excessive
de pesticides, parallelement a l’introduction quasi-simultanee, dans les annees 1980, de filets maillants
et du poisson predateur Ophicephalus striatus ont probablement sonne le glas pour l’espece.
Alaotra (Madagascar Red-necked) Grebe
Tachybaptus rufolavatus was described in 19321
from specimens collected by the Mission Franco-
Anglo Americaine3, at Lake Alaotra in central-east
Madagascar. It was a small grebe, similar to the African
subspecies of Little Grebe T. ruficollis capensis, but
differing from it and Madagascar Little Grebe T.
pelzelnii , by its pale eye, pale rufous-washed neck,
dark underparts and short wings2. Alaotra Grebe had
a long and strong bill compared to Little Grebe,
suggesting that it specialised on small fish. The only
known photograph of the species, taken in 1983,
appears here as Fig 1.
Lake Alaotra is the largest lake in Madagascar, c40
km long and 10 km wide, with c350 km2 of marshes,
(mostly Cyperus spp) and c500 km2 of ricefields at its
southern end, and c220 km2 of open water. It is
situated in a basin at c750 m, between two north-
south scarps3. The lake is also famous for Madagascar
Pochard Aythya innotata , which also appears to have
been practically endemic to the lake and its environs,
and may now be extinct, the last individual having
been recorded in 19915.
Alaotra Little Grebe was only ever reliably recorded
on Lake Alaotra; reports from elsewhere6,7 appear to
be in error for T. pelzelnii 5. The species’ short wings
seem likely to have limited its distribution to the
immediate vicinity of the lake, as it would probably
have been able to fly only short distances9 (A Konter
pers comm). Early accounts of grebes at Lake Alaotra
mention it being relatively common, at least around
the time of its original discovery1, while Little Grebe
seems not to have been common on the lake at that
time1.
Decline
Published reports from Lake Alaotra between the
1930s and 1980s are rare and only Voous & Payne11
mention the species composition of grebe flocks on
the lake. They report that, in I960, ‘around 50
[Alaotra Grebes]’, with clO Madagascar Little Grebes
were present; Little Grebe was considered the
commonest grebe at the lake. By 1982, while grebe
flocks were still relatively common, Alaotra Little Grebe
appeared scarce, with cl 2 being identified, as well as
several hybrids5. By 1985, although clOO grebes were
present on the lake, only 2-3 definite Alaotra Little
Grebes were identified10 (P Thompson pers comm). In
1986, B Dawson (unpublished report held at BirdLife
International) recorded c8 adult and immature Little
Grebes, and one adult and one immature Alaotra
Grebe. Two years later D Thorns (unpublished report
held at BirdLife International) saw an adult and an
immature grebe that were also probably the latter
species. Subsequently, in 1989-90, Wilme13 and Young
& Smith14 reported Madagascar Little Grebes and Little
Grebes, but no definite Alaotra Grebes. Between
January 1993 and January 1994, Pidgeon4 saw only
one each of Madagascar Little Grebe and Little Grebe.
He also recorded the two commoner species at three
lakes near Andilamena, north-east of Alaotra; two
unidentified grebes and eight Little Grebes at Lake
Antsomangana, four of each species at Maromandia.
and two Madagascar Little Grebes at Lake
Amparihalava. In addition, he found two of each of
both common grebes on the River Ivondro, near Didy
Marsh. Surveys conducted at Lake Alaotra by Julien
Ramanampamonjy5,6, on behalf of Durrell Wildlife
Conservation Trust and Wetlands International,
produced two Madagascar Little Grebe in 1997, one
Madagascar Little Grebe in 1998, and no grebes in
1999.
In early 1999, this situation prompted Projet
ZICOMA to propose a survey of sites around Lake
Alaotra in order to tiy and find Alaotra Grebe. Funding
was obtained from the African Bird Club Conservation
The sad story of Alaotra Grebe : Hawkins et al
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -115
Fund (with complementary financing from AviFauna),
and 30 April-17 May was spent visiting sites around
Lake Alaotra15. Seven areas around the main lake,
lakes within a few kilometres of Lake Alaotra near
Amparafaravola and Imerimandroso, and those visited
by Pidgeon in 1993 near Andilamena were surveyed.
The only site which held any grebes was Lake
Antsomanagana near Andilamena, where four
Madagascar Little Grebes were seen. Other lakes near
Andilamena, which had held grebes in 1993, were
almost dry and held few waterfowl15 .
Discussion
The striking result of this analysis is the precipitous
decline of grebes in general at the main lake since
cl985. It suggests that a new pressure, manifest from
the early 1980s, was responsible for the elimination of
all resident grebes from the main lake by 1992, and
that all subsequent sightings relate to birds that have
arrived from other areas, only to be very rapidly
eliminated before they could breed. It appears that
this pressure is absent, or at least a lot lower, at Lake
Antsomangana. In addition, the pressures appear to
have selectively targeted grebes, as other species (eg
Meller’s Duck Anas melleri , Hottentot Teal Anas
hottentota and Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha,
while in decline since the 1930s, are still relatively
numerous5,6).
Several potential causes of the decline have been
suggested. There is considerable evidence to suggest
that some hybridisation between Little Grebe and
Alaotra Grebe occurred, and that even the type was a
hybrid. This has been mentioned as a potential reason
for the extinction of the species. The extent to which
hybridisation can explain the species’ decline is
impossible to judge, but it appears that until the final
sighting, individuals possessing the majority of
characters of Alaotra Grebe were present, and that the
decline of that species was accompanied, on Lake
Alaotra at least, by an equal decline in other grebe
species. The introduction of predatory fish (especially
Black Bass Micropterus salmoides) may have impacted
substantially upon potential grebe food4. Exotic
vegetarian fish, especially carp Cyprinus sp. and some
Tilapia species have radically changed the vegetation
of the lake since the 1930s, when the majority of open
water was covered in water lilies Nymph aea sp.15.
Organochlorine pesticides, frequently used in
ricefields surrounding the lake since the 1960s, have
probably been mounting in the Lake Alaotra
ecosystem. Many products now banned in the West
are in common use at Alaotra. Hunting of waterfowl,
already intensive in the 1930s15 appears to be very
high at present4. However, it is principally concentrated
on duck species that fly between the lake and
ricefields at night4’5.
These pressures have certainly contributed to the
overall decline in bird populations at Lake Alaotra, but
they do not appear to have radically increased in the
1980s, and changes in wetland vegetation and hunting,
at least, would appear likely to have affected all
species of waterfowl. Hunting may have played a part
in the decline of Madagascar Pochard4, which was
reported by local people to be tame and easily caught,
but the small grebes do not appear to be have been
specifically hunted. Two pressures, which do appear
to have increased markedly in the relevant time period,
are the use of monofilament gill nets and predation
pressure from the introduced Snakehead Ophicephalus
striatus (Channidae), a predatory fish of pike Esox sp.-
like in size and habits. No data are available on the
rates of gill-net use prior to the early 1990s, but at this
time they were so widespread in the lake’s open water
as to impede the progress of boats with outboard
motors (H G Young pers comm). These nets
undoubtedly catch grebes, as diving birds do not see
them underwater and drown if ensnared. Widespread
use of gill-nets is not apparent on Lake Antsomangana.
Snakeheads were introduced to Madagascar in
the late 1970s and probably reached Lake Alaotra in
the early 1980s4. This genus of fish, along with others,
has been implicated in the elimination of grebes from
waters in their native south-east Asia (J Fjeldsa pers
comm). A similar situation exists in Europe, where
Little Grebes do not breed successfully in waters
inhabited by large pike, as the fish eat adults and
chicks. At Lake Alaotra, local fishermen relate many
tales of adult grebes being found dead on the surface
of the water with fatal injuries, which they attribute to
Snakeheads. According to fishermen, the fish attack
grebes when underwater, and Snakeheads are
reputedly absent or very rare in Lake Antsomangana.
Conclusion
It appears undeniable that Alaotra Grebe is extinct.
Despite repeated intensive searches, there have been
no records for over ten years and it appears that all
resident grebes have now been eliminated from Lake
Alaotra. The near-flightless nature of Alaotra Grebe
makes it extremely unlikely that populations remain
undiscovered elsewhere in Madagascar. A series of
effects have apparently contributed to the degradation
of wetland habitats at Lake Alaotra, including
indiscriminate pesticide use, hunting and competition
from native fish, but that the final devastating blow to
this species, as well as probably for the equally
unfortunate Madagascar Pochard, was the near-
simultaneous introduction of monofilament gill nets
116 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
The sad story of Alaotra Grebe : Hawkins et al
Figure 1. Adult breeding plumaged Alaotra Grebe
Tachybaptus rufolavatus, Andreba, Lake Alaotra, 1985
(Paul Thompson)
and the Snakehead. Fig 1 thus stands, apart from
museum specimens, as the last testament of this
species, which appears to have become extinct in
cl988-89, without the conservation world noticing.
Acknowledgements
Fieldwork for the 1999 ZICOMA survey was funded
by the African Bird Club Conservation Fund, partially
through AviFauna (Sweden). Logistical support to
Projet ZICOMA was provided by Durrell Wildlife
Conservation Trust (DWCT), to whom we extend our
thanks. Jonah Randriamahefasoa and Jerome
Randrianarimanana, of DWCT, provided advice and
support in the field, and Richard Rasolonjatovo guided
the team at Andreba. Comments from Glyn Young
were gratefully received. Thanks to Paul Thompson
for comments and suggestions, and permission to use
the photograph.
References
1. Delacour, J. 1932 Les oiseaux de la Mission Franco-
Anglo-Americaine a Madagascar Oiseau etRFO 2: 1-
96.
2. O’Donnell, C. and Fjeldsa, J. 1997. Grebes: Status
Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Gland: IUCN/
SSC Grebe Specialist Group.
3. Morris, P.A.J. and Hawkins, A.F.A. 1998. Birds of
Madagascar. A Photographic Guide. Robertsbridge:
Pica Press.
4. Pidgeon, M. 199 6 An ecological survey of Lake Alaotra
and selected wetlands of central and eastern
Madagascar in analysing the demise of the
Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata. St Louis:
World Wide Fund for Nature/ Missouri Botanical
Garden.
5. Ramanampamonjy, J. and Randrianasolo, H. 1997.
Recensementd ’oiseaux dans le cadre du programme
Wetlands International du mois du juillet 1997 a
Lac Alaotra. Unpublished report to Jersey Wildlife
Preservation Tmst, Madagascar.
6. Ramanampamonjy, J. and Randriamahefasoa, J. 1999-
Recensement d ’oiseaux dans le cadre du programme
Wetlands International du mois dujanvier 1999 a
Lac Alaotra. Unpublished report to Jersey Wildlife
Preservation Tmst, Madagascar.
7. Rand, A.L. 1936 The distribution and habits of
Madagascar birds. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 72:
143-499.
8. Salvan ,J. 1971 . Observations nouvelles a Madagascar.
Alauda 39: 37-42.
9. Salvan, J. 1972. Statut, recensement, reproduction
des oiseaux dulgaquicoles aux environs de
Tananarive. Oiseau etRFO 42: 35-51.
10. Thompson, P.M. (ed.) 1987. Zahamena Forest
Madagascar Expedition 1985. Cambridge, UK:
International Council for Bird Preservation (Study
Report no. 20).
11. Voous, K. H. and Payne H.A.W. 1965. The grebes of
Madagascar. Ardea-. 53: 9-31.
12. Webb, C.S. 1936. Collecting waterfowl in Madagascar.
Avicultural Magazine 5: 36-39-
13. Wilme, L. 1994. Status, distribution and conservation
of two Madagascar bird species endemic to Lake
Alaotra: Delacour’s grebe Podiceps rufolavatus and
Madagascar pochard Aythya innotata. Biol. Conserv.
69: 15-21.
14. Young, H.G. and Smith, J.G 1989. The search for the
Madagascar pochard Aythya innotata ; survey of Lac
Alaotra, Madagascar, October-November 1989. Dodo
26: 17-34.
15. ZICOMA 1999. Rapport de Mission. Recherche de
Grebe de Delacour Tachybaptus rufolavatus, region
du Lac Alaotra, 30 avril-17 mai 1999. Unpublished
report, Projet ZICOMA.
Projet ZICOMA, BP 1074, Antananarivo 101,
Madagascar.
^ Supported by ABC Conservation Fund
and
The sad story of Alaotra Grebe : Hawkins et al
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2- 117
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118 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Advertisement
Identifying glossy starlings in the field
Adrian Craig
L’article traite de l’identification des choucadors (ou merles metalliques) africains au plumage
uniformement bleu-vert, places traditionnellement dans le genr eLamprotornis. Si les especes forestieres
de l’Afrique centrale et occidentale ne posent que peu de problemes d’identification, ceci n’est pas le
cas pour les especes de l’Afrique orientale et meridionale, qui comprennent un certain nombre de
formes assez semblables dont les aires de distribution se chevauchent. Bien que les vocalisations et le
plumage juvenile soient souvent caracteristiques, l’observation detaillee des patterns de plumage dans
des conditions d’eclairage convenables permettent egalement, dans la plupart des cas, d’identifier
correctement l’espece. Si, a quelques exceptions pres, les points d’identification sont relativement bien
connus, beaucoup reste a decouvrir sur lecologie et la biologie de ce groupe.
Figure 1. Ruppell’s Long-tailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis pwpuropterus, Uganda (Johan Verbauck)
A first encounter with an African glossy starling is a
memorable event, even for those without a special
interest in birds. As the angle of light on the plumage
changes, we see shifting iridescent greens, blues and
purples, with occasional flashes of metallic copper
and bronze. These are all structural colours, resulting
from the reflection and diffraction of light by the
feather keratin, in which melanin granules are
embedded. In typical blue-green African glossy
starlings, the melanin granules are oblong in cross-
section, with an air space inside. There is a single row
of granules parallel to the surface of the feather
barbules, with other granules scattered in the central
region with no regular orientation6’8 . However, in tw o
West African species, similar colours are produced by
flattened, solid melanin platelets. This resembles the
condition found in sunbirds--9. In starlings, the
arrangement of the melanin granules appears
consistent at a generic level, and this, along with other
evidence, has led me to suggest some rearrangements
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -119
68
70a
70b
Plate \. 68: Cape Glossy Starling Lamprotornis nitens. 69 Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus.
70: Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling Lamprotornis chloropterus (a = adult, b = juvenile). 71: Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling
Lamprotornis chalcurus.
120 -Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Plate 2. 72: Splendid Glossy Starling Lamprotornis splendidus (a = adult male, b = adult female). 73: Principe Glossy Starling
Lamprotornis ornatus. 74: Emerald Starling Lamprotornis iris. 75: Purple Glossy Starling Lamprotornis purpureus (a = adult,
b = juvenile).
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 - 121
gt§§f
-
^ ^
Plate 3- 76: Ruppell’s Long-tailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis purpuropterus. 77: Long-tailed Glossy Starling Lamprotomis
caudatus. 78: Golden-breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius (a = adult, b = juvenile).
122 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
'9
Plate 4. 79: Meves’ Long-tailed Starling Lamprotornis mevesii. 80: Burchell’s Glossy Starling Lamprotornis australis.
81: Sharp-tailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis acuticaudus (a = adult, b = juvenile).
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2- 123
Plate 5. 82: Black-bellied Glossy Stading Lamprotornis corruscus (a = adult male, b = adult female). 83: Purple-headed
Glossy Starling Hylopsar purpureiceps. 84: Coppery-tailed Glossy Starling Hylopsar cupreocauda .
124 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
to the taxonomy of African starlings" . Traditionally
all the glossy blue-green starlings were placed within
the genus Lampfvtomis , but some additional species,
formerly in the genus Spree, such as Superb Starling
c rbus and Golden-breasted Starling
Cosmopsimis regius , also appear to belong there.
However, these species all have ventral areas with
pigmented, non- iridescent plumage, which simplifies
their identification. So in this article I will discuss onlv
the uniformly blue-green glossy starlings.
If the colours of these birds are very much in the
eye of the beholder, it will be difficult to rely on colour
for field identification. This is certainly true and careful
observation of the patterns of colour arrangement is a
better approach. I must admit at the outset that I have
yet to see all the species discussed here in the field,
although I have pored over many museum specimens
and visited collections holding captive starlings. So
this should be regarded as a progress report, to which
other observers can contribute.
The glossy starlings are. to some degree,
segregated by habitat and geographical distribution,
but some species are very widespread, at least one is
migrator) , and large-scale movements in the non-
breeding season are likely in several others. Often
three species may occur regularly at the same locality
and 5-6 species are likely to lx* found together at
times.
Forest starlings
For these* species, geographical distribution is very
helpful in narrowing down one's options. On the east
coast of Africa, from South Africa north to the southern
tip of Somalia, including offshore islands such as
lnhaca, Pemba and Zanzibar, the only true forest
representative is Black-bellied Glossy Starling
Lamprotomis corruscus. The field impression is of a
small, dark starling with yellowish eyes. The sexes can
be distinguished in grxxl light, as the female has matt
charcoal underparts, whereas the male has the ventral
side black with a faint bronzy sheen. Breeding males
have red eyes and in the hand exhibit a remarkable
ability' to change their eye colour, presumably by
flushing the iris with blood. One, which I handled for
ringing, had a red eye facing me, whereas the eye on
the other side of the head was yellow! After a few
minutes, both eyes became yellow'. Black-bellied
Glossy Starlings principally occur within 50 km of
coasts, but in Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya they
penetrate much further inland in gallery forest along
river valleys. However, their small size and dark
greenish appearance distinguish them from any of the
savanna species, which are likely to enter this habitat.
In lowland forests of western and central Africa
are two closely related species, Purple-headed Glossy
Starling Lamprotomis purpunuceps and Coppery -
tailed Starling L cupreocauda , which 1 have placed in
a separate genus. Hylopsar\ Coppery-tailed Starling
is restricted to the region from Guinea east to Ghana,
while Purple-headed Glossy Starling has a much \\ ider
distribution, from southern Nigeria east through the
Congo basin to western Uganda. Within forest, the
barring on the tail, which is conspicuous on specimens
and in the illustration of the species, is not a useful
field character. The yellow iris and overall bluish
plumage should separate it from the dark-eyed Purple-
headed Glossy Starling, with ns greenish body
plumage, although the two species are not known to
occur at the same sites anywhere in West Africa.
Both these small forest starlings may occur
alongside the much larger Splendid Glossy Starling
Lamprotomis splendidus. This is a truly spectacular
bird when seen at close quarters, showing more subtle
variations in plumage colour than one can convey
ettectix civ in a written description. It has a wide range
in l< m land forests from Senegal to western Past Africa,
Zambia, ( < >ng< )andn< >rthem Angola, in southern and
western regions it is a migrant and large mobile flocks
are < haracteristic < >l the non breeding season. Roosts
containing thousands of individuals have been
reported in Gabon2. This is a large starling, dorsally
showing many shades of blue and green, with purple
underparts. The iris is \\ hite and the female is duller
than the male, although tins is unlikely to be evident
to an observer peering up into the dim forest canopy.
Splendid Glossy Starlings are raucous birds, which
James Chapin described as gathering in groups to
practice the most marvellous discords!3 Their outer
primary feathers have large notches halfway along
them, so that their flight is accompanied by a loud
swishing noise, which Chapin compared to the sound
of a distant paddle steamer. In small woodland
patches or at forest edges, Splendid Glossy Starlings
can potentially occur alongside many of the savanna
glossy starlings. Their white iris, purple underparts
and relatively long blue tails, with dark blue centres
to the feathers, are likely to be the best distinguishing
characters in this situation.
On Principe Island, Splendid Glossy Starling may
occur alongside its closest relative, Principe Glossy
Starling Lamprotomis ornatus. These two species
both possess a white iris and notched wing feathers,
but Principe Glossy Starling is bronzy, rather than
greenish on the back and the underparts are greenish
instead of purple. Current information suggests that
Splendid Glossy Starling is an irregular visitor to
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -125
Principe, and may not breed on the island, although
it is resident on Bioko1'.
Woodland and savanna glossy starlings
Away from forests, West African woodlands have
another six species of glossy starlings to offer, and
here my field experience is negligible. Nevertheless.
I believe that the Emerald Starling Lamprotomis iris.
formerly often placed in a monotypic genus.
Coccycolius, is unlikely to be confused with any other
species in the inland savannas of Guinea. Mali and
Cote d’Ivoire. Its brilliant emerald-green plumage is
produced through a slight modification of the typical
Lamprotomis arrangement of hollow, oblong melanin
granules6,8. It has a purple ear patch around a dark iris,
and a purple belly. Another distinctive species, Long-
tailed Glossy Starling Lamprotomis caudatus. is much
larger and longer tailed than any other starling in West
Africa. However, it ranges east to Sudan, where it
reportedly occurs alongside Ruppell s Long-tailed
Glossy Starling Lamprotomis purpuropterus. Current
visitors to this area of overlap will tend to focus on
military activity rather than bird observations. It
appears likely that Ruppell’s can be distinguished by
its glossy blue, rather than blue-green body ,but more
information on these populations is required. Some
taxonomists have included the long-tailed starlings
from Sudan and Ethiopia as a race of L. caudatus
rather than L. purpuroptenis" , and this debate cannot
be settled by re-examination of specimens collected
50 years ago.
Gradually we are homing in on the real problem
area — the short-tailed savanna woodland glossy
starlings. There is one more relatively distinctive
species, Purple Glossy Starling Lamprotomis
purpureas. This is a bulky, strikingly short-tailed bird,
with blue-green upperparts, purple underparts and a
yellow iris. It ranges from Senegal to west Kenya, and
throughout this area can occur alongside three other
species: Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling
Lamprotomis chalybaeus, Lesser Blue-eared Glossy
Starling L. chloropterus , and Bronze-tailed Glossy
Starling L. chalcurus. All three have a distinct ear
patch, which contrasts with the coloration of the
surrounding feathers — when the light is favourable
for the observer. This ear patch has a purple wash in
Bronze-tailed, whereas it is deep blue in Greater and
Lesser Blue-eared. The central tail feathers of Bronze-
tailed Glossy Starlings are bronzy, and some barring
may be visible (I have not seen live specimens of this
species). The tail is proportionately shorter than in the
other two species, and the uppertail-coverts possess a
purple tinge, rather than being blue-green. The four
outer primary feathers of Greater Blue-eared Glossy
Starling have distinct indentations, while smaller
indentations are present on the primaries of Bronze-
tailed Glossy Starlings, so that the flight of these two
species is much noisier than that of Lesser Blue-eared
Glossy Starling.
In many glossy starlings there are dark blue spots
at the tips of some, or all. of the wing-coverts. In
Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling there are typically
two complete rows of spots visible on the folded
wing, compared to a single row in Lesser Blue-eared
Glossy Starling. Comparable information is lacking
for Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling. A more reliable field
character is underparts coloration. The belly plumage
of Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling has a purple wash,
whereas in both blue-eared species there is a magenta
patch on the flanks. This coloration ends just in front
of the legs in Lesser Blue-eared, whereas in Greater
Blue-eared Glossy Starling the magenta area extends
forward well beyond the hind limbs. Clearly, careful
comparison and favourable viewing conditions are
crucial. Fortunately, in many reserves, glossy starlings
are so habituated to people that they will strut about,
allowing one to obtain a good lcx)k from different
angles.
When juveniles are present with the adults, they
may provide additional clues. In first plumage. Lesser
Blue-eared Glossy Starling has a fawn, or chestnut-
brown in southern Africa, vent. This is diagnostic of
this species, as in Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling
the juvenile has dark ventral plumage with some
brown undertones, and at the same stage young
Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling appears to have blackish
underparts.
From Kenya southwards, the two blue-eared
species overlap in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia.
Mozambique and Zimbabwe. A third species. Cape
Glossy Starling L. nitens joins them in Zimbabwe.
Cape Glossy Starling is also sympatric with Greater
Blue-eared Glossy Starling in South Africa, Botswana,
northern Namibia and southern Angola. Here I am on
familiar territory, and voice is a significant character in
this region: Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling has a
whining sheaair call, unlike any call of Cape Glossy
Starling.
Southern Africa has a further three species of
glossy starling, which overlap locally with the trio
above, but are much easier to separate from them and
from each other. Meves’ Long-tailed Glossy Starling
Lamprotomis mevesii is a slender, dark-plumaged
species with a dark iris and a long tapered tail. It is
quite localised in its distribution, favouring areas of
baobab or mopane trees. Burchell’s Glossy Starling
Lamprotomis australis also appears dark in the field,
with a dark iris, but it is much bulkier, with a broad,
126 -Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Hunt-ended tail. Both have prominent cross-barring
on the tail Finally, ''harp-tailed Glossy Starling
Lamprutomis acuticaudus is a glossy green bird with
a pointed, faintly barred tail, and an * >range or red iris.
Observers w ill continue to delight in the iridescent
plumage'* otgloNs\ Ntarlingv M\ hope is that they will
go beyond the identification puzzles, to document
more of the basic biology of these species. 1 am sure
that field experience < >f the calls < rfthe different glossy
starlings can ensure rapid identification of all species
described here, but sufficient information is not yet
available for many of them. Juvenile plumages have in
some cases been described from single specimens of
uncertain age. and lor all species with a coloured iris,
juveniles apparently start out with a dark iris.
Intraspecific variations in adult iris coloration exist’ :
and it is probable that species other than Black-bellied
Gl< >ssy Starling exhibit seasonal or spontaneous short-
term changes in eye colour. Although Chris Feare and
I recently co-authored a comprehensive review of the
starling family1 . we attempted to emphasise how little
is known about many species. Cooperative breeding
occurs in at least 1 1 of the »8 African species, and
probably in others whose breeding biology is
unstudied. For 1 1 African starlings, the eggs are
undescribed. while for eight species the only detailed
observations on incubation and feeding of the young
have been made on captive birds in Europe. There is
always something new to discover in Africa.
Acknowledgements
1 am especially indebted to Chris Feare, for initiating
the happy collaboration that finally produced our
fxx)k. Robert Kirk was supportive throughout its long
gestation pericxl My family helped in many practical
ways and was tolerant of my absences on field trips
and museum visits. Many landowners, museum
curators and colleagues have assisted me — their names
appear in the book. Rhodes University has supported
my research throughout, f
References
1. Basilio, A. 1963- Ares cle la isla de Fernando Po.
Madrid: Coculsa.
2. Brosset, A. and Erard, C. 1986. Les oiseaux des
regions forestieres du nord-est du Gabon. Vol. 1:
Ecologie et comportement des especes. Rev. Ecol.
Suppl. 3: 1-289.
3 Chapin, J.P. 1954. The birds of the Belgian Congo.
Part IV. Bull. Am. Mas. Nat. Hist. 75B: 1-846.
a. Christy. P. and Clarke, W. 1998. Guide des oiseaux de
Sao Tome et Principe. Sao Tome: Ecofac.
5. Craig, A.J.F.K. 1997. A phylogeny for the African
starlings (Sturnidae). Ostrich 68: 114-116.
o. Craig. A.J.F.K. and Hartley, A.H. 198V The arrange-
ment and structure of feather melanin granules as a
taxonomic character in African starlings (Sturnidae).
Auk 102: 629-632.
Durrer. H. and Yilliger, V . 1962. Schillerfarben der
Nektarvogel (Nectariniidae). Rev. Suisse Zool. 69:
801-81-t.
8. Durrer. H. and Yilliger, \\ . 1970. Schillerfarben der
Stare (Sturnidae). / Om. Ill: 133-153.
9. Farquhar, M.. Lorenz, M.. Rayner, J.L. and Craig,
A.J.F.K. 1996. Feather ultrastructure and skeletal
morphology as taxonomic characters in African
sunbirds (Nectariniidae) and sugarbirds
( Promeropidae). J. Afr. Zool. 110: 321-331.
10. Feare. C. and Craig. A. 1998. Starlings and mynas.
London, I K: A. & C. Black.
11 White. C..M.N. 1962. A revised check list of African
sbrikt v >ri< )les, dn mgi is, starlings, crows, waxwings,
cuckoo-shrikes, bulbuls, accentor's, thrushes and
babblers. Lusaka: Government Printer.
1 \\ ilkinson, R. 198 L Variation in eye colour of Blue-
eared Glossy Starlings. Malimhus 6: 2— t.
Dept. of Zoology & Entomology, Rhodes University,
Grabamstoicn. 6 NO. South Africa.
\The World
Birding Conference
birders contributing to global bird conservation
30 March - 1 April 2001
The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire, UK
Speakers will include
Ian Wallace. Richard Porter, Nigel Collar and Richard Ranft
Talk topics will include
birding explorers, conservation challenges, expeditions,
Important Bird Areas, in-the-field technology, bird sounds,
museums and bird conservation and conservation monitoring
Club stands, displays, shops incl. books , CDs and more
For further information contact
WBC2, c/o BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford IP24 2PU, UK
www.wbc2.com
The World Birding Conference is jointly hosted by the African Bird Club, British Ornithologists' Union,
British Trust for Ornithology, Neotropical Bird Club and Ornithological Society of the Middle East
Identifying glossy starlings in the field: Craig
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -127
Kakamega Forest: a living classroom for the
growing generation
Solomon Mwangi
Un programme original d’education pour la conservation a ete mis en oeuvre aupres de certaines
communautes villageoises vivant aux alentours de la foret de Kakamega, dans l’ouest du K£nya ( e
projet a ete finance par une bourse de 1’African Bird Club, et l’artk le en presente les premiers rdsultats
et impressions.
Kakamega Forest
Along the Kisumu-Eldoret road, 300 km west of
Nairobi, Kenya, lies the only true remaining patch
of tropical rainforest in Kenya — Kakamega Forest.
Kakamega Forest covers an area of 15.480 ha and
is the easternmost outlier of the Guinea-Congo forest,
and biogeographically unique. It harbours more than
200 forest-dependent bird species, 16 found nowhere
else in Kenya. Two species are globally threatened.
Turner’s Eremomela Eremomela tumeri and Chapin s
Flycatcher Muscicapalendu. Kakamega is a haven for
naturalists and researchers, and is renowned for its
unique fauna and flora, harbouring 20% and 75% of all
Kenyan plant and butterfly species. The forest has
recently been listed as a globally important biodiversity
site, making it a key area for conservation1.
Kakamega is a tiny island within a sea of needy
people, as the area surrounding the forest has one of
the highest human densities in the country (268 km2).
This has resulted in increased pressure for land and
forest-based resources. Uncontrolled firewood
collection, forest grazing and illegal logging are some
of the problems facing Kakamega. The forest, with its
rich flora and fauna, could disappear unless these
illegal and unsustainable activities are addressed.
The programme
During World Environment Day in 1999, an initiative
of the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) celebrated annually across the world on 6
June, students from nine schools around Kakamega
Forest, teachers, headmasters and the area Chief were
treated to 23 songs, three plays and several poems
presented in different languages, including the local
language, Kiswahili, and English. A play by Muleche
Primary School was particularly impressive. Artwork
with messages about the birds of Kakamega, theme of
the year, as it related to the IB A programme, was
displayed in the field. This event sparked off the ABC-
funded pilot education programme in Kakamega
Forest, which has been conducted in tandem with the
ongoing Kakamega Environmental Education
Programme. The programme. Save the tarnishing birds
of Kakamega forest: in testing in the young generation
through conserration education, focuses on providing
environmental education within schools.
Children consider their parents to represent Mr
and Mrs Right’, emulating everything they see them
say and do. irrespective of the consequences In
Kakamega. communities use natural resources to meet
their various household needs, in most cases
unsustainably. and such practices are passed on from
generation to generation. The programme aims to
cultivate enthusiasm for. and skills in, birdwatching
among the pupils as a stepping stone to creating
awareness about other environmental concerns in
Kakamega Forest. It is hoped that this will have a long-
lasting impact. Specifically, by focusing on birds, the
programme sought to provide pupils, teachers and
wildlife clubs with an understanding of Kakamega
Forest and its biodiversity, and the threats the area
faces. It is hoped that if the students grow up knowing
the value of the forest, they will become agents of
change in their own community in the future.
Phase I: visits to schools
The first phase of the programme involved visits to
schools by members of Kakamega Guides Association.
These visits consisted of:
Meet school headmasters, patrons and other interested
teachers, and fix a meeting day during the wreek.
Meet the club or students interested in forming a club:
• Give a short lesson on what a wildlife or
conservation club is (assisted by the teachers)
• A short game with the pupils to stir up their
interest.
Short presentation:
• Kakamega forest
• What are birds
• Importance of birds study table
• How to construct a bird-feeding table.
Kakamega Forest, a living classroom for the growing generation: Mwangi
Short bird walk in the school compound
• Tes ion skills (listening, behaviour,
watching).
Small booklets on birdlife of Kakamega were used.
Results
A total of 22 schools and over 8tX) pupils have had
contact with the programme. During the visits,
theoretical lessons on the history, geography,
importance, and problems facing kakamega Forest
were conducted. Particular emphasis was placed on
areas that feature in the school curriculum In similar
visits, within the school compounds, pupils identified
plants using local and English names, and learned ot
the traditional uses and myths attached to some trees
As a result, three schools have already formed
conservation clubs, and in one — Shabwali secondary
schcx)l — membership has grown to iT with elected
officials office bearers. ( )ther schools, not previously
involved in the project, have requested visits from the
programme.
Bird identification formed a major part of the
entire programme, including the use of coloration,
shape and size of the bill, and size of the bird, among
other features. Pupils were instructed in identify ing
different habitats for birds within their school
compounds and discovering which were the Ix'st for
birdwatching. "Die overall aim was to compile bird
checklists tor individual schools. By observing the
manner in which different species feed, pupils
identified certain specific adaptations, especially in
the size and shape of bills, as part of the schools’
science curriculum.
Four core schools (those demonstrating exemplary
interest and performance) commenced mini-projects,
which involved writing about different traditional
beliefs concerning birds that served to enhance their
conservation protect ion. and the role these species
played in the AbaLuhya people’s lifestyles. Some of
the more remarkable beliefs that pupils, from three
different AbaLuhya subtribes (Isukha, Tachioni and
Kabras) living around Kakamega Forest, collected
from their grandparents are presented below.
sunbirds Nectarinia spp. (Muchuni)
Boys who had not passed through circumcision rituals
should not kill these species; failure to observe this
stricture would lead to their bleeding profusely during
the ritual.
sparrows Passer spp. (Lirolesi)
The local name is believed to derive from dreaming
(Khulora) among the Isukha subtribe. Among the
Tachioni and Kabras these species, wrhich are known
to collect different items for nesting, are associated
with witchcraft and sorcery
Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura (Isimbishila)
The Tachioni practised polygamy; in eases where one
wife wanted more favour from her husband, she
would roast a whydah for him in order to achieve
this. Among kabras this bird is believed to attract
customers to a business.
weavers Ploceus spp. (Matekeye)
Among Tachioni these birds were thought to bring
wealth and were considered to be an omen of
impending good fortune whenever they were seen
nest-building around a home.
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu Uraeginthus bengalus
(Khasisi)
Ann >ng lachioni it w as believed to be an essential part
of the homestead, rhe Kabras, on the other hand,
believed that it should not be killed and, if killed,
would signal the end of good luck.
lovebirds Agapomis spp. (Ingringeri)
I < >\ ebirds w ere rarely seen in Luhya land, being noted
\er\ i K casionally during the course of a year. Among
lachioni, any < >ne seeing a 1< )\ ebird w as v iew ed as a
hero m society, and these species’ presence was
considered beneficial \m< >ng Kabras, they w ere seen
as a blessing when they visited fruiting Ficus trees
around homesteads, but the whereabouts ol their
nesting areas were unknown to local people.
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna
subcylindricus (Ling’ang’a)
Among Isukha this species was known to invite a
bright good day. but if it was not seen or heard the
day’s weather would be dull.
Hamerkop Scopus umbretta (Namulobi)
This comparatively small bird is known to build a
huge, unmistakable nest, usually near streams. Among
kabras, a nest within a farm was considered a
c( immunity blessing, while the nest was also associated
with a welcoming home — especially because other
birds, rodents and sometimes tree snakes would
occupy the nest, once abandoned.
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (Inyanji)
Well known for trailing livestock and wild mammals
while grazing, Kabras believed that when it appeared
among a herd, it signalled good livestock husbandry,
which would lead to an increase in wealth.
falcons Falco spp. (Shikakalila-ls, Shikhokorero-
Kab)
One falcon was known for its ability to hover expertly
in the air. Among Kabras, Isukha, and Tachioni this
Kakamega Fbrest, a living classroom for the growing generation: Mwangi
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2- 129
species was believed to rarely lose its feathers. In the
event that it lost a feather while hovering, it was
believed that the bird would retrieve it. If a feather
happened to fall within a homestead it was considered
an omen of good luck and that the entire family would
be endowed with much wealth.
White Stork Ciconia ciconia (Makunyi)
Storks were a sign of festivities at the end of the year.
In addition, Tachioni and Kabras believed that locusts
followed the species and if it was seen on migration,
people feared locusts would arrive shortly.
African Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus (Liyayi)
This species was known for predating more than < me
young chicken at a time. Its name derives from the
action of picking more than one item at a time and
flying away (Khuyaya).
Reactions/questions from pupils
The following are some of the questions that pupils
asked at the end of talks held in different schools. M< >st
of the questions were similar or related, and this is a
summary of the principal ones:
Q Why do we conserve fierce animals like- snakes,
leopards, and buffaloes?
A They help to balance the environment, and attract
tourists and researchers.
Q How does the government provide forest
conservation?
A By employing forest guards, forest extension
officers and foresters, and by encouraging other
organisations to undertake projects in the forest.
Q What qualifications are required in order to become
a game warden?
A O-level passes in English, Mathematics, Geography
and Sciences, and a strong interest in natural
histoiy.
Q How does Kakamega Forest contribute to the
economy of Kenya?
A It attracts tourists, mainly birdwatchers and
botanists, thus creating employment for Kenyans
as wardens, rangers, foresters and guides, as well
as promoting education in various fields.
Q How many tourists visit Kakamega Forest?
A The annual number has increased from 353 in
1990 to 4,278 in 1998, and the total continues to
increase each year.
Q Is the forest important to Egyptians and North
Africa?
A Yes; through the streams that have their source in
the forest and then join the main rivers flowing
into Lake Victoria, which is the source of the
River Nile, whose water is used for irrigation in
Egypt and other countries further north
Q \\ hat is the differenc e betw een N
National Reserve?
A National I'. irks are located on state
and are manned by government officials through
the Kenya Wildlife Serv ice. National Reserves are
largely situated on trust land and are manned by
local government employees.
Q 1 1< >w muc h rain d< >es K . 1 k . .
A Over 2.000 mm per annum.
Q w hat is the meaning < >t the term bk diversity ?
A Variety within life forms, referring t<» plants and
animals and their environment.
Q What would happen it all the forests were cut
down?
A \ w atei would be l< £t 1 he air
would loose its purifier, soil erosion would increase
and land would become uasuitable for farming,
while temperatures would also be affected.
Q II man ev < >lv ed in >m primates, birds In >m reptiles,
what of plants?
A Plants are ala > a pit due t < 't evolution, but most
ancient plants appear to have disappeared
Q win are De Brazza’s monkeys not found in the
main Kakamega Forest
A Further research is required; they were introduced
in 1998 around one of the streams but have since
disappeared.
Q Are there any differenc es betw een different snake
poisons?
A \ es. sc >me affect tin- ner\ es and < ithers the blc >< >d
Q Why must we learn about wetlands?
A They provide a home for many living organisms,
and Man with food, building materials and water.
Case study: Buyangu primary school
Buyangu primary school is located on the east edge of
Kakamega Forest and is one of more than 22 schools
that have benefited from visits and talks by Kakamega
Forest Guides through the ABC-sponsored pilot
conservation education programme in collaboration
with Kenya Wildlife Sen ices. The school w as founded
in 1976 and has 272 pupils (148 boys and 124 girls)
with nine teachers. It has nine clubs, among them a
w'ildlife/bird club, which is the most active, scouts and
girl guides, a geographic club, and debating, drama
and music clubs. The bird club is one of the most
successful of the school clubs involved in the pilot
Kakamega Forest , a living classroom for the growing generation: Mwangi
Lib and its patron (Solomon Ngari)
education programme, and has a tree farm with over
UK) trees. A bird-feeding table and hide, where club
members and other pupils can watch study birds at a
close range, have been erected.
During a recent W ildlife Clubs of Kenya
competition in the Kakamega region, the first fi\ e best
pupils came from Buyangu primary school — the bird
club has over 20 active members, headed by Eric
Lichungu (Chairman). Benjamin Ingutia (Secretary)
and Eunice Sachita ( Ireasurer). rhe school has a \ ery
gt h >d relationship with the Kenya Wildlife Service and
has received donations in the form of desks and a
piece ot land to expand the school. Buyangu primary
school participates in other national events such as
m 'il 1 1 >nscr\ ation. games and Wildlife Clubs quizzes.
It hopes to involve more pupils in the activities of
Important Bird Areas (I BA ) programme in Kakamega.
Phase II: visits to the forest
The aim < >f this phase w as to provide pupils with first-
hand experienc e of the forest, c< instruct en\ ironmental
games, debate different aspects of the forest, and
« < induct forest walks and competitions. This phase is
• mgomg and further progress reports will be made to
ABC.
Problems and Constraints
• Time allocation n has been difficult for guides to
find time to devote to school visits and also guide
tourists, which is their only source of income.
• I ravel expenses pr< >ved to exceed the predicted
budget.
• I., u k < if support and goodwill from some school
heads and patrons has led to slow progress in
some areas.
• 'Iliis was the first donor-funded project
administered by the group. Some group members
had expectations beyond those that could be
achieved through available funds, which caused
some conflicts and delays in implementation, cf.
References
I . Stattersfield, A.J., Crosby, M.J., Long, A.J. and Wege,
l).C 1 99M. Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities
for Biodiversity Conservation. Cambridge, UK:
BirdLife International.
Nature Kenya, c/o Past Africa Natural History Society,
Museum Hill, PO Box 44486, Nairobi, Kenya.
y- Supported by ABC Conservation Fund
Kakamega Forest, a living classroom for the growing generation: Mwangi
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2- 131
Discoveries
A nest of Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes oreas
constructed on a tree
Matthias Waltert and Michael Mithlcnhctv
Un nid du Picatharte a ( < >n gris Picathartes oreas .1 ete < >bser\ e p< >ur la premiere t< ms Mir 1
en forme de coupe a ete dec ouvert debut mars 1999, dans la z < >ne du Pn >jet K< >rup, ( ai
contrdori d un grand Pipiadcniastrum , .1 1.5 m au dessusdu sol tit ruissi
mesurait c30 cm de long, 8 c m de large et 10 < m de hauteur; le b< >rd exterieur £tait en<
Figure 1. Nest of Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes ureas
on tree, CAFECO concession. Korup Project area.
Cameroon (Matthias Waltert)
Grey-necked Picathartes Picathartes oreas is a
restricted-range species, confined to the
north-western Lower Guinea forest zone, between
south-east Nigeria and north and central Gabon1 \
Although elusive and not easy to observe, it is not
uncommon in suitable rainforest habitat in Cameroon
(R Demey pers comm). It usually breeds in small
colonies, building its mud nest on the surface of
overhanging rocks, caves and boulders2 5. There is a
single record of a nest within a hollow in a burnt-out
log2.
On 3 March 1999, in an unlogged part of the
CAFECO concession, Korup Project area, Cameroon,
we found a nest of this species attached to the buttress
of a large Piptadeniastrum tree, 1.3 m above ground,
near a small forest stream. The cup-shaped nest was
c30 cm long, 8 cm wide and 10 cm high. The outer rim
was damaged and some fibrous material was
noticeable. It was undoubtedly a picathartes nest: it
looked exactly like those built on rock faces we had
come across in the same area, where we found several
colonies. According to locals, the bird was seen on the
nest several weeks before and the breeding site was
reported to have lx*en in existence for years. I his
appears to lx* the first record of a nest of Grey-necked
Picathartes built on a tree.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Korup Project for supporting our
fieldwork, the village of Mwangale CAFECO area for
their friendly co-operation, and Ron Demey for his
comments on the manuscript.
References
1. Collar, N.J., Crosby. M.J. and Stattersfield. A.J. 1994.
Birds to n atch 2. the world list of threatened birds
Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International.
2. Collar. N.J. and Stuart. S.N. 1993. threatened birds of
Africa and related islands, the 1CBP 11 CX Red Data
Book. Cambridge, UK: International Council for Bird
Preservation.
3. Louette, M. 1981. The birds of Cameroon. An
annotated check-list. Verhandl. Kon. Acad.
Wetensch. Lett. Schone Kunst. Belg. 43: 1-293.
4. Stattersfield. A.J., Crosby. M.J., Long. A.J. and Wege.
D.C. 1998. Endemic Bird Areas of the world: priorities
for biodiversity conservation. Cambridge, UK:
BirdLife International.
5. Thompson, H.S. and Fotso. R. 1995. Rockfow 1: the
genus Picathartes. Bull. ABC 2: 25-28.
Centre for Nature Conservation (Dept. I). Vniversitat
Gottingen. Von-Siebold-Strafie 2. 37075 Gottingen.
Germany. E-mail: mwalter@gwdg.de.
132 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Discoveries
Red-tailed Greenbul Criniger calurus and Chestnut-breasted
Negrofinch Nigrita bicolor, new to Benin
Maarten ran Jen Akker
L aute ur mentit >nne la deci hiv cite dc s nou\ elles pour le Benin. 11 s agit du Bulbul a barbe
iniger calurus et de la Nigrette a ventre roux \ lor , captures dans des filets japonais
et photographies en fevrier-mars 1999, dans la Foret de Niaouli.
n comparisc »n \\ ith < >ther African countries, research
on resident birds has just commenced in Benin and
there is still much to discover. The connin' is situated
in the so-called Dahomey Gap', separating the l pper
and Lower Guinea-Congolian forest blocks In this
area only small, scattered forest patches are found. In
1997. the Dutch Embassy in Benin financed a project
to protect Niaouli Forest, one of the last semi-deckluous
forests in the south (if the country.
Niaouli Forest (06°44’N 02°29’F). within the
Guinea-Congolian vegetation zone, is cl IS ha in
extent It consists of two distinct parts, the dry Plateau
(90 ha) and the lower lying Bas-fonds ( 2S ha ). when*
several springs form a small stream. Ornithological
survey's were undertaken from 199? onwards and. in
February-March 1999. two new species for Benin
were discovered.
On 20 February and 5 March 1999, single Red-
tailed Greenbuls Criniger calurus were mist-netted
on the Plateau and Bas-fonds. In size they were
betw een Little Greenbul A ndropadus t 'iretts and Grey-
headed Bristlebill Bleda canicapilla, and were
identified by their dark grey head with grey orbital
ring and white-streaked ear-coverts, olive-green
upperparts and tail (indicating that the subspecies
involved was verrvauxi), w hite throat, yellow belly
and olive-green flanks. Bill and legs were blue-grey,
the eyes red-brow n ( Fig. 1 ). Wing lengths 85 mm and
86 mm. weights 2 4 g and 31 g
On 6 March, a Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch
Nigrita bicolor was trapped in the Bas-fonds. Its
Figure 1 Red-tailed Greenbul Criniger calurus, Niaouli,
Benin, 20 February 1999 (Maarten van den Akker)
chestnut-coloured face and underparts, and blackish-
grey upperparts. blacker on the wings and tail, readily
identified it. The bill was black, the eye red brown
and the legs dark brown ( Fig. 2). Wing length 59 mm;
weight 10 g.
These are the first documented records for both
- in Benin Neither appears on the Dowsetts’3
list and they have not been recorded by other
ornithologists subsequently working in the south of
the country Both occur in adjacent Togo-’ and
Nigeria'.
References
I \nciaux. M R. 1996. Apcreu de 1’avifaune dans
diffdrents milieux dc- l’int6rieur des terres du Sud
Benin. Plateau d’Allada et sud de la depression de la
Lima. Gahiers d Ethologie 16: 79-98
2. Cheke. R.A. and Walsh ,J.F. 1996. The Birds of Togo:
annotated check-list BOl Check-list No. 14.
Tring: British Ornithologists' Union.
V Dovvsett. R.J. and Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1993. A
Cniilrihiilion to ihc Distribution and Taxonomy of
\fn )tn )pii at and Malagasy r,nds. Tauraco Research
Report 5. Liege: Tauraco Press,
i Elgood.J.H. 1994 The Birds of Nigeria: an annotated
check list. HOT Check-list No. 4. Second edition.
Tring: British Ornithologists’ Union.
5 VG altert, M and Muhlenberg, M. I()1)1). Notes on the
avifauna of the Noyau Central, Ft >ret ( llassee de la
Lama, Republic of Benin. Malimbus 21: 82-92.
Reiflestr. 2d. 70839 Gerlingen , Germany. E-mail:
i ’dakker@i t n i-hohenheim . de.
Figure 2. Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch Nigrita bicolor,
Niaouli, Benin, 6 March 1999 (Maarten van den Akker)
Discoveries
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -133
African Swallow-tailed Kite Chelictinia riocourii
breeding in the Saloum Delta, Senegal
R.E. Brasseur
La premiere nidification de l’Elanion nauc ler Chelic tinia riocourii au Senegal .1 ete < < >nstat£e en jam ier
2000, avee trois nids (dont deux ave< des oeufs) d& ou\ erts dans le Parc Nati< >nal du 1 )elta du Salt ium,
et un quatrieme 30 km au nord. I )ans les deux c as < >n .1 in >uv e, des nids d’autres rapac es ( Elanit in blanc
Elanus caeruleus, Petit-Due africain ( Itus ( sc ops > senegalensis el \ ant< >ur < >ri< < >n . 1 egypius trac beliotus »
dans les environs immediats.
On 20 January 2000, near Sokone in Saloum Delta
National Park, Senegal, warden Mansaly Valentin
found three pairs of African Swallow -tailed Kites
Chelictinia riocourii. Two individuals w ere incubating
eggs, while the other pair was still engaged in c< )urtship.
The nests were constructed on stunted Mitragyna
inermis trees in a patch of grassland surrounded by
almost bare salt flats, on one of the delta’s many
islands. One nest was within the same bush as an
African Scops Owl Otus (scops) senegalensis nest,
which was hanging in a creeper Abrus precat orius
and contained two fledged young. Less than 50 m
away, a Black-shouldered Kit e Elanus caeruleus nest,
containing two almost full-grown chicks, was found
near the top of another Mitragyna tree. Subsequent
visits on 29 January and on 2 February confirmed the
kites’ continued breeding, while, on 10 February ,
another African Swallow-tailed Kite nest was found
c30 km further north by Jacques Peeters, an advisor
with Senegal’s National Parks service. This nest was in
the same tree (an Acacia seyal ) as that of a Lappet-
faced Vulture Aegypius tracheliotos. In early March.
Mansaly Valentin visited the first site again. Both the
owl and Black-shouldered Kite nests were empty, but
ten pairs of Chelictinia had joined the earlier group of
three. With the exception of one nest in an Acacia
seyal, all of the new nests were in Mitragyna inermis
trees, which had by this time shed their leaves. These
are the second breeding records of African Swallow-
tailed Kite in Senegal, following one in 1992* ' \ The
above observations also demonstrate that the species
appears to be attracted to areas in which other large
birds of prey are nesting1, but also to the nests of
nocturnal birds of prey, and that it does not always
nest colon ially\ Furthermore, Brown etaT note only
the use of Acacia and Balanites trees by nesting
African Swallow -tailed Kite j
References
1. Bannerman. D A. 1953 The Birds of West and
Equatorial Africa. Vol 1. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
2. Barlow. C., Wacher, T. and Disley. T. 199“’- A Field
Guide to Birds of The Gambia and Senegal.
Robertsbridge: Pica Press.
3. Brown. L.H.. Urban. E.K. and Newman. K. (eds) The
Birds of Africa. Vol 1. London. UK: Academic Press.
4. Dowsett. R.J. and Dowsett-Lemaire. F. 1993- A
Contribution to the Distribution and Taxonomy of
Afrotropical and Malagasy Birds. Tauraco Research
Report No. 5. Liege: Tauraco Press.
5. King. M. 2000. The Gambia ringing project reporifor
winter 1999-2000. Privately published.
Parkstraat 217 , B-3000 Leuven , Belgium E-mail
r. e. brasseur@pophost.eu net.be.
African Swallow-tailed Kites Chelictinia riocourii
by Nik Borrow (courtesy of Birdquest)
134 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Discoveries
Range extension of African Broadbill
Smithornis capensis into Soutpansberg,
Northern Province, South Africa
C. T Symes and M R. Perrin
■et d’Atlas Omithologique Sud Africain n’a pas constat^ la presence de FEurylaime du Cap
mis capensis (terns le nord-ouest de la Province du Nord, Afrique du Sud. La capture d’une
femelle el les n vubu et dans l’est du Soutpansberg semblent
f< nitch ms indiqucr que I 1 ' :n. I.iimc du ( ap n \ cst pas accidentel ct pourruit par contre etre assez regulier
sp . a r\ constat£e dans cinq carr£s d’un quart de degr€ du
S< Hitp juels elle n’avait pas trouv£e auparav ant. La Luvhu\ hu et la Mutale,
qui traversent le nord du >nal du Kruger, et la confluence des rivieres Limpopo-Luvhuvhu
lient servir de voies de migration vers la region de Soutpansberg, oh l’oiseau pourrait nicher
a mune hdce d Les implicatk >ns p< >ur la a rnserv a tit >n s< >nt examinees.
Introduction
The northcmnn >st mountain range in South Africa.
the Soutpansberg. lies at 23a05,S-22 25'S. and
29T7’E-31 20*E (Fig 1). Altitude is 300-1,719 m, at
Hanglip. and 1,748 m at Letjuma. The Soutpansberg’s
geology' developed cl,' "00 million years ago during
an east— west faulting of the Limpopo Mobile Belt,
which caused dipping to the north and rising to the
south' *. The mountains end north of Thohoyandou,
between the Luvhuvhu and Mutale rivers ( Fig. 1 ).
Forest is prominent on south-facing slopes in the
south of the range, but is not aspect-dependent at
high altitudes. Rainfall is seasonal, falling mostly in the
summer (October . March). Entabeni receives highest
rainfall (cl. 800 mm year), with the Drakensberg
rainshadow causing Louis Trichardt, to the west, to
re< eive c540 mm year8. Rainfall decreases to the east,
with Punda Maria, at c2()() m, receiving c620 mm/
year'. Temperatures are hot in summer, but cooler
with increased altitude in the mountains.
I Ik- Luvhuvhu River originates east of Louis
i t u hardt and flows west east along the south of the
range. Fast of the Soutpansberg it turns north-east,
meeting the Limpopo River at Crooks Corner in
Range extension of African Broadbill into Soutpansberg, South Africa: Symes & Perrin Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2- 135
2
Figures 1-2. Female African Broadbill Smitbomis capensis.
Vireers Farm (site 9). 1 October 1999 and
retrapped 66 days later when it had a
prominent brood-patch (Craig Symes)
Figures 3 —4. View from Vireers Fami (site 9) towards
Soutpansberg Mts. illustrating African
Broadbill Smitbomis capensis habitat:
Afromontane forest and commercial evergreen
plantations are visible on the distant slopes
(Craig Symes)
Figure 5. Diy lowland semi-deciduous forest at
Ratombo (site 7) (Craig Symes)
136 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 Range extension of African Broadbill into Soutpansberg, South Africa: Symes & Perrin
northern Kruger National Park The Mutale River
originates at Thathe Yondo. flows north-east and joins
the Luvhuvhu in north-west Kruger National Park,
near Pafuri Gate < see Fig 1 >. Although the geological
features of the Soutpansherg extend as far north-east
as Pafuri. it is in the region betw een these rivers, in the
east, where altitude decreases, that the Afromontane
elements of Soutpansherg begin to decrease8.
African Broadbill Smitbomis capensis is an
uncommon endemic resident in Africa2, 10 11 . It is the
only broadbill in the southern African subregion and
inhabits a variety of habitats, including dense
woodland, riparian forest, miombo woodland,
lower storeys of evergreen forest, and deciduous
thickets ,2. In southern Africa its range extends from
the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, north into
Mozambique and through the Zambezi Valley to the
western Capnvi of Namibia ' 12 1 v r. It is a rare resident
in Swaziland1 ' and very scarce in the former Transvaal18.
In the south its range extends to Port Shepstone
(30n i5’S 30”20’E), where it inhabits evergreen forest
and coastal scrub'. In Mozambique a southern
population, in coastal woodland ami forest, is disjunct
from those in the north, which largely occur in
Androstacbys Jobnsonii forest'1'. Throughout the
Zambezi Valley it occurs in dry scrub-bush associated
w ith riverine forest, and in the Eastern Districts in rain
forest at the Haroni-Lusitu confluence and lower
Pungwe River areas17. It may lx* an overlooked
resident of riverine forest in the Okavango Delta.
Botswana1'. It is usually silent and inactive in low
vegetation, and consequently easily overlooked12.
While bird ringing at a site near Levubu (Table 1 .
site 9) a female African Broadbill was captured.
Additional sightings were made at nearby Ratombo
(site 7), a dry' lowland semi-deciduous forest'. The
South African Bird Atlas Project did not record the
species in this region, the nearest occurrences being
in south-east Zimbabw e, C250-300 km distant4. Sev-
eral subspecies are recognised and our records are
probably of conjunct us. These records prompted an
investigation into the presence of African Broadbill in
the region.
Methods
Records of African Broadbill in the Soutpansherg,
west of Kruger National Park, were located in the
literature. Additional data, gathered from birders who
had recorded it in this region, were obtained and the
following information collated: 1) locality, 2) altitude
3 1 grid reference, -0 date of recording. 5) identification,
and 6) reference, recorder.
Results and discussion
African Broadbill has been found in five quarter-
degree squares not recorded in the South African Bird
tolas Project (2229DD Wyllies Poort, 2230CD
Thohoyandou, 2230DC Makondo, 2329BB Louis
Trichardt. 2330AA Ratombo)1. These records are
summarised in Table 1 (see also Fig. 1).
Range extension
I he S< >uth African Bird Adas Project did not record the
species in Northern Province, either because of its
inconspicuous nature, or its considered status as a
vagrant'. The records presented here, from five
additional quarter-degree squares, suggest it is more
i < million than previously thought. Most records were
in early spring and summer, suggesting that it may be
seasonal in occurrence although, given that breeding
occurs in September February4 1 1 ' 1 , the records may
result in >m an increase in the birds’ activity during this
period.
Possible seasonal movements
African Broadbill is an uncommon to fairly common
localised resident in south-central Africa10. Known
Table 1. African Broadbill Smithomis capensis records in the Soutpansherg (see Fig. 1).
Site
Locality
Alt. (m a.s.l.)
Grid Ref
Date
Identification
Reference
1
Bluegumspoort
1.320
22°59'30"S
29 55'20“E
Nov 1997
seen & heard
E. Eastwood
2
Freshwoods Farm
1.100
23°00'20’S
29 57' 1 5"E
Dec 1992
heard
S. Venter & J. Crafford
3
Roodewaal Forest
1.020
23°00'15'S
SO^I^O’E
Dec 1992
seen & heard
S. Venter & J. Crafford
4
Goedehoop forest station
860
23°04’10"S
30°07’40"E
Nov 1998
heard
M. Holford
5
Softwaters Farm
760
23°04’20'S
30°08'30"E
Nov/Dec 1998
seen & heard
M. Holford
6
Goedgevonden
750
23°04’25*S
30°08’50"E
Nov 1995
heard
A. Muller
7
Ratombo Forest
900
23°02'30"S
30°11’50"E
Nov/Dec 1999
seen & heard
This study
8
Entabem (Safcol Offices)
820
23°02’35"S
30°13’15"E
-
seen
A. Bester
9
Vireers Farm
700
23°04’20"S
30°14’00”E
Oct-Dec 1999
seen & heard
this study
10
Matiwa
1,350
22°58'40"S
30°1 5'1 0’E
Jan 1997
seen & heard
D. Pretorius
11
Matiwa
1,350
22°59'55'S
30°15’35"E
-
seen & heard
A. Bester
12
Mutshindude Valley
1,100
22°58'S
30°17’E
18 Oct 1985
-
Tarboton et aP
13
Thathe Vondo
1,320
22°52’30"S
30°20’40"E
Oct 1976
seen & heard
Tarboton eta/18
14
Gaba Forest
980
22°46’20"S
30°43’20”E
Jan 1998
heard
S. Venter
Range extension o/A/ric an Broadbill into Soutpansherg, South Africa: Symes & Perrin Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 - 137
from the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe* 1 , addi-
tional high-altitude records during the breeding season
suggest that it moves into the region to nest. It was
recorded by Swynnerton in the upper Buzi River
basin3 and, more recently, a pair was recorded at
Tsanga River, Nyanga (1,860 m), in December 19982' .
with three records from the Bvumba Highlands, eastern
Zimbabwe (max. altitude 1,911 m)M. These records,
together with those presented here, are mostly from
the breeding season. The female ringed at Levubu
(site 9) on 1 October 1999 was recaptured in the same
place on 6 December 1999, w hen it had a prominent
brood patch and another, possibly a male, was heard
calling nearby. On 13 November and 5 Decembei
1999, at Ratombo Forest (site 7), a male was observed
in the same place giving the conspicuous tttti-
rrrrrrrrrrr cajj jt may have foeen holding territory .
and was possibly breeding.
No evidence exists to suggest that broadbills arc-
migratory lon, although some species may be nomadic
or perform altitudinal movements in response to food
availability and prevailing weather conditions1
African Broadbill presence in the Levubu Louis
Trichardt area may be seasonal, with a post -breeding
return to the Mozambique lowveld in winter. The
vegetation of the Levhuvhu and Mutale rivers is
predominantly riverine (pers obs), providing ideal
habitat through which local movements could occur.
It may, however, be resident, being inconspicuous
when not breeding and calling.
Conservation implications
The recent South African IBA (Important Bird Areas)
inventory did not record the presence of African
Broadbill in the Soutpansberg (SA 003 V. Habitat
destruction, especially in heavily populated areas,
threatens this species and it is considered regionally
Vulnerable11,12. The region through which the
Levhuvhu and Mutale rivers flow, before reaching
Kruger National Park, is populated by rural settlements
of the former Venda homeland. Slash-and-burn
agriculture is practised and there is no control over the
clearing of bush and development of farmlands (S
Venter pers comm). If this habitat is important as a
migratory corridor for broadbills and other species
between northern Kruger National Park and the
Soutpansberg it requires conservation.
Acknowledgements
Sarah Venter, Prof Dries Bester, ‘Boesman’ Muller,
David Pretorius, Dr Jan Crafford, Ed Eastwood and
Mike Holford provided additional records of African
Broadbill in the region. The Mullers of Levubu are
thanked for their hospitality during this study. Dries
Joubert granted access to ringing sites on his land (site
9). The African Bird Club funded bird-nnging equip-
ment. f
References
1. Barnes, K.N. 1998 The Imjtoriant Bird Areas of
Sou them Africa. Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa
2. Clancey, P.A. fed) 1980. SAGS Checklist of Southern
African Birds. Johannesburg: Southern African
Ornithological Society.
3. Clancey, P.A. 1992. The Birds of Southern
Mozambique. Westville: African Bird Book
Publishing.
4. Cohen. C. 1997. African Broadbill Smithomis
capensis. In Harrison. J.A., Allan, D.G..rnderhill,
L.G.. Herremans. M.. Tree. A.J.. Parker. V. and Brown.
C.J. (eds). 7 be Atlas of Southern African Birds. Yol 2
Johannesburg: BirdLife South Africa.
5. Cyrus. D. and Robson, N. 1980. Bird Atlas of Natal
Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Presv
6. Dean. W.R.J. 1971. Breeding data for the birds of
Natal and Zululand. Durban Mus Noe. 9: 59-91.
7. Geldenhys, C. 1999. Forest wood — DWAF
conservation forestry proposal. Unpubl. report.
8. Hahn. N. 1994. Tree list of the Soutpansberg. Pretoria:
Fantique.
9. Irwin. M.P.S. 1981 . The Birds of Zimbabwe. Salisbury:
Quest.
10. Keith, S., Urban, F.K. and Fry. C.H. (eds) 1992. The
Birds of Africa. Yol 4. London. UK: Academic Press
1 1 . Lambert, F. and Woodcock. M. 1996. Pittas. broadbills
andasities. Halfway House: Russel Friedman Books.
12. Maclean. G.L. 1993- Roberts Birds of Southern Africa.
Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund.
13. Manson. A.J.. Manson, C. and Mwadziwana. P. 1994.
The birds of the Bvumba Highlands. Honeyguide
(Suppl. 1) 40: 2-51.
14. Parker, V. 1994. Swaziland Bird Atlas 19B5-1991.
Swaziland: Conservation Trust of Swaziland.
15. Parker, V. 1998. The Atlas of the Birds of Sul do Sate.
Southern Mozambique. Cape Town: Avian
Demography Unit.
16. Penry, H. 1994. Bird Atlas of Botswana
Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press.
17. Smithers, R.H.N.. Irwin. M.P.S. and Paterson. M.L.
1957. A Checklist of the Birds of Southern Rhodesia.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
18. Tarboton, W.R. Kemp, M.L and Kemp. A.C. 198“.
Birds of the Transvaal. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum.
19. Truswell.J.F. 1977. The Geological Evolution of South
Aftica. Cape Town: Purnell.
20. Williams, J. 1999. High altitude African Broadbills.
Honeyguide 45: 23-24.
School of Botany a nd Zoology, l Jniversity ’ of Natal. P Bag
X01, Scottsville, 3209, KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa.
/'■ Supported by ABC Conservation Fund
138 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 Range extension of African Broadbill into Soutpansberg. South Aftica. Sytnes & Perrin
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140 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Advertisement
Photospot: Star-spotted Nightjar
Michael Mills and Claire Spottisuvode
Star-sp< med Nightjar Caprimulgusstellatus has been
known to science for little over a century, since
being discovered at the Kassim River*, eastern Ethiopia,
in January 1899'. It has subsequently remained a
relatively obscure species, observed only occasionally
and photographed more rarely still. Consequently, its
breeding biology is unknown* and status within its
localised range poorly known. Zimmerman et ar
describe it as locally common in n Kenya on lava
rock-strewn deserts with scattered areas of bare sandy
soil , w hile Salford et al report that . Capri m u Igus
stcllntns w as probably also common on the Nechisar
plains, where its presence was confirmed by tw o road
kills ( R Safford pers comm).
The species owes much of its enigmatic reputation
to its localised distribution, which is largely restricted
to relatively remote areas of northern East Africa. Its
strongholds lie in north and north-west Kenya ( north
of 01°1S’N and between 34°55’E and 38°00’E)V’ and
central Ethiopia (in the Awash valley'). It is recorded
more sporadically in Djibouti, north-west Somalia,
south-east Sudan, and at Artu and Nechisar National
Park in Ethiopia* * Star-spotted Nightjar favours dry
habitats at low altitudes (possibly up to 1.980m)
including stony semi-desert, black lava fields, dwarf
bush grassland and dry, open bushland-’.
Identification is made especially difficult by an
overlap in distribution with the almost
indistinguishable, and possibly more variable. Plain
Nightjar Capri mu Igus inonuitus. Both these plainly
marked species are small- to medium-sized, and have
proportionately large heads. Zimmerman etal', the
only field guide to illustrate and comprehensively
describe the two, states that Star-spotted Nightjar is
Similar to Plain Nightjar but still plainer, and readily
distinguished from it by prominent white throat patch
( usually divided by a dark midline) and smaller white
tail comers’. In the case of the individual photographed,
the white throat markings were almost unnoticeable
even in the hand, and only became apparent by
closely examining the parted throat feathers.
Importantly, female Plain Nightjar lacks white in the
tail and wings, while the male has broader white tips
to the two outermost tail feathers. Only in the hand,
when wing and tail patterns can be examined, can
these species be separated with certainty.
This individual, believed to be an adult female,
\\ as caught on 28 November 1999 in Nechisar National
Park. Ethiopia. It was located shortly after sunset in
marginal habitat on the western border of the Nechisar
plains, between grassland and dry open bush.
Acknowledgements
We thank Roger Safford and Nigel Cleere for their help
in identifying this bird, and Gus Mills. Duan Biggs and
Peter Oslx>me for helping to catch it. f,
References
1. Blundell. M W and Lovat, L 1899. New species of
birds from s< >uthem \by ssinia. Bull. Br. ( )mithol. Cl.
10: |9-J V
2 Glee re. \ and Nurney, I). 1998. Nightjars: A Guide to
Sight jars and related mglu hi rds. R< )bertsbridge: Pica
Press.
5 Farnsworth, S.J., Coomber, R.F., Jones, P., Madge,
S.< Webb R and Witherick, M. 2000. Recent
observations of some bird species previously
considered uncommon or rare in Ethic >pia. Bull. . \BC
7: 34-46.
i. Fry , G II.. Keith, S. and Urban, E.K. (eds) 1988. The
Birds " / \fri( a Vol 3. L< >nd< >n, I IK: Academic Press.
3 Lewis \ 1984. Notes on the ranges of three species
in northern and eastern Kenya. Scopus 8: 27-28.
6 Safford, R.J., Duckworth, J.W., Evans, Ml., Telfer,
M G .Timmins, R.J. and Zewdie, ( 1. 1993- The birds of
Nechisar National Park, Ethiopia. Scopus 16: 61-80.
7. Zimmerman, I). A., Turner, D.A. and Pearson, D.J.
1996. Birds of Kenya and northern Tanzania. London,
UK: A. & C. Black.
c o Percy Pi tzpa trick Institute of African Ornithology,
I nil vrsityqf Cape Town, Rondehosch, 7701, South Africa,
li-mail: michaelmills@webmail.co.zaorclaire@birding-
africa.com
Photospot
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -141
Figure 1. Star-spotted Nightjar Caprimulgus stellatus , .1 little-known inhabitant <>l low-altitude deserts and arid bush of
northern Kenya and central Ethiopia. This female was photographed adjacent to the NechLsar plains, southern Ethiopia in
November 1999 (Claire Spottiswoode & Michael Mills)
Figure 2. Diagnostic flight-feather pattern of female Star-spotted Nightjar Caprimulgus stellatus. Note the smudge of white
covering just the tip of the outermost tail feathers and the narrow white blotches to the four outermost primaries (Claire
Spottiswoode & Michael Mills)
142 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Photospot
ilar to the partially sympatru and almost indistinguishable Plain
Nightpr ( inoniatus Itnth .ire mu. ill ti ' medium M/ed i< » pl.unly marked .ind hau* proportionately large heads.
while < >n the thn >at, despite this being widely cited as a useful field character
• Claire Soottiswoodc K Michael Mills >
Figure 5 Nechisar plains, southern Ethiopian Rift Valley;
generally plainer than Plain Nightj it < aprimulgus inomatus habitat of four nightjar spe< ies including the little-known
and has tiny m the i n >wn and s< apulars Net hisat Captimulgus solala (described on the basis of a
single wing from a road-kill) and Star spotted C. stellatus
(Claire Spottiswoode)
Photospot
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 -143
Recent Reports
These are largely unconfirmed records
published for interest only; records
are mostly from late 1 999-early
2000, with a few from earlier dates
We thank all birders who have sent in
their records and urge them to submit
full details to the relevant national or
regional organisations. It is suggested
that observations of each species be
compared with relevant literature to
set new data in context and that
observers who are unfamiliar with the
status of birds in a particular country
refer to R.J. Dowsett’s (1993)
Afrotropical avifaunas: annotated
country checklists (in: R.J. Dowsett
and F. Dowsett-Lemaire. A
Contribution to the Distribution and
Taxonomy of Afrotropical and
Malagasy Birds. Tauraco Research
Report 5. Liege: Tauraco Press) or
more recent and appropriate sources
before submitting records.
Azores
Records from October-November 1999
include a Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps at Lagoa Azul
Sete Cidades, Sao Miguel, on 1—2
November. Further observations at the
same site included a Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea , the seventh for the
Azores, on 25 October, and a male
American Black Duck Anas rubripes ,
seven female/immature American
Wigeon A. americana, a Eurasian
Wigeon A. penelope, a female Ring-
necked Duck Aytbya collaris , and an
immature male and seven female
Lesser Scaups A. affinis on 1-2
November. A male and female Wood
Duck Aix sponsa were found at Corvo
on 19 October. Approximately 40
White-rumped Sandpipers Calidris
fuscicollis were reported from several
sites from 19 October into November,
with up to 22 at Sete Cidades, on 27
October, 17 still there on 1 November,
and five at Cabo da Praia, Terceira, on
3 November. Records from Cabo da
Praia, Terceira, on 3-6 November
included two first-calendar-year
Semipalmated Plovers Charadrius
semipalmatus, a Baird’s Sandpiper
Calidris bairdii, a Purple Sandpiper
C. maritima and a Red Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicarius. Up to three
Spotted Sandpipers Actitis macularia
were reported from three islands —
Flores, Terceira and Sao Miguel — from
15 October to 6 November at least. Up
to four Chimney Swifts Cbaetura
pelagica were observed at Sete
Cidades, on 26-27 October. If
accepted, a Common Redpoll
Carduelis flammea at the same site on
27 October would be the first for the
Azores ( per Dutch Birding 2 1 353-
359; RC, KdK & DC per Birding World
12 143)
In January-March 2000 the
following species were reported. Two
Great Northern Divers Cana inmwr
were off Praia Islet. Graciosa. on 20
February . A Ring- necked Duck
Aythya collaris was seen at Sete
Cidades on 4 March, while a Little
Egret Egrella garzetta and a Spotted
Sandpiper
Lajes do Pico on 1 1 March. A Ring-
billed (.nil
Horta Harbour. Faial. on 21 January,
and another at Praia. Graciosa. on 9-
17 March (first seen on 19 February). A
first -winter Glaucous Gull /.
hyperboreus was at Madalena Harlx>ur.
Pico, on 30 January' (also reported on
23rd and said to be regular at this site
in recent winters). Up to ten Snow-
Buntings Plectrophetiax nivalis at
Calderia, Faial, on 20-27 February ,
appear to be the first flock reported
from the island (MB per Birding World
13. 57; MB & GE per Birding World
13: 102).
Burkina Faso
The following records were made in
the Banfora area, in the country's
extreme south-western corner, in
February 2000. An African Cuckoo
Falcon Aviceda cuculoides was seen
at the Cascades on 22nd. The same
day, 14 Lesser Jacanas Microparra
capensis were found on Lake Tengrela
(with two on the Comoe River on
23rd). Also at the lake were a Pel’s
Fishing Owl Scotopelia peli ( two were
seen at the same site in February- 1999)
and a Marsh Owl Asio capensis ( ASe &
AMr).
Cameroon
What appears to be the first Spotted
Sandpiper Actitis macularia for
continental Africa south of the Sahara
tailed Tropicbird Phaeton
'turns by Craig Robson
vered at the coast near
imbe area, on 12 April 2000
ir< ameroon was .< Baillon’s
rzana pustUa mist-netted
Cameroon list, it confirmed: .* White-
tailed Tropicbird Phaetl n Upturns.
claimed off F.linde in lanuarv 1999.
and a Brown -necked Parrot
Poicephalus rvhustus reported from
Benoue National Park on 20 February
1999 (HS).
Further records from the first half
of 1999 include a Spot-breasted Ibis
Bostrichia rara at Zoebefame. near
the Dja Reserve, in May. a Eurasian
Wigeon nelope at Ngaoundaba
ranch on 27 February, and an Ayres’s
Haw k Eagle Hieraaetus ayresii at
Eboumetoum. north-east of Dja
Reserve, on 22 April (per ML).
Records in December 1999— April
2000 include the following. .African
Sw allow-tailed Kites Chelictinia
riocourii were common from Mozogo-
Gokoro to Kaele in January (cl 5
records) (ML). An adult Congo
Serpent Eagle Dryotriorchis
spectabilis was seen on the southern
slopes of Mt Cameroon. Batoke area,
on 16 February (VS) and an immature
at Ebogo, near Mbalmayo, on 5 March
(RD & EW ). In Korup NP. an adult
Ayres’s Haw k Eagle Hieraaetus
ayresii was observed on 23 February
(US). Fox Kestrels Falco alopex w ere
found to be common in the Mandara
(rake
Like V
144 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Recent Reports
Eurasian Hobbies
behav > Bronze w inged
Courser urstjrtus . \ Tr
Brow n ». bested
Lapwing Van. us supercilt is
Fj^ptun Pkivcrs Plwuinu*
Uhitc fronted Plovers
<.rr\
headed Gulls !.iru im
'Ml' v%ef.il pairs ■ Vfcp Pigeons
Kl.u k spin, tail
March t l‘V> Nine White rumprd
Sw ifts I pto i affvr flew n\er near
Rannernum Turaco /aura,
shallow tailed
Bee eaters M< > >p\ hirundinvus
Mayo Louti and Mozogo-Gokoro as
(iandaki i Ml s/fA A) Yt U illcocks’s
Honey guide Indicator mlU ksi w.h
seen and tape-recorded at Tchabal
( »and iba n ~ April and Zenker’s
Hnncyguidc Meh^mmnn zenken on
Grey-necked Picathartes
Picathartes areas by Mark Andrews
Mt Manenguha on ~ December (ML). A
b ellow - footed Honeyguide
Mehynonion eisentranti was found at
Bachuo Akagbe, Mamie area, on ~
March Also there was a pair of Fire-
bellied Woodpeckers Dendmpic s
pyrrb* paster w ith two young; this
appears to be the third record for
>n 1 l s long-legged Pipits
An thus ptdlidiivntris were reported
ln»m Mundemha < SB) and from
several localities in the south, from
Knbi east to the Dja and south to
Campo and Ma an (RP& ML)
lU d throated
Pipits
«>n Tchabal Gandata in April (ML). A
Red- shouldered Cuckoo-
shrike ( ampiphaga pbotmiciw at
kixlmin. Kakossi Mis. on 28 Match,
appears it) lx1 a rather unusual record
for the forest /one (AT?) Some IS
l < m s i s w allow *
w i-r ’In- img in nests I Cirey-
neckcd Picathartes I'u tilharlt s a<as
in Korup NP on 22 February ( l V) A
Red capped Robin ( hat '<\pha
nahilcnsis seen north of the Mape on
21 March constitutes a new locality for
this species in Cameroon (ML)
Dorst’s ( isticola « isln <>/</ dorsti w as
singing in Bcnoue NP in April (AT?).
Hamenda Apalis t/*«i/rs lunnendav
was fimnd to he quite common on the
Mham Mis. at a record altitude of
2.0S0 m surveys conducted by the
Cameroon IHA team have now found
the species at more than 75 sites (RD&
A ) \ 1 \ Western Bonclli’s Warbler
Pbyilascopus honelli was observed at
the forest edge of Mt Cameroon, above
i gauds
Woodland Warblers P hudunRiK’nsis
were singing in primary forest south of
Akom II. Campo-Ma'an NP. in
February (RD&ML). Several pairs of
Oriole W arbler f/vfH’rgerus atriceps
were found in the Yaounde area.
Suhalpine Warblers Sylvia cantillans
were common at Mozogo-Gokoro in
January < Ml > Green-breasted Bush
Shrike Malaconotus gladiator was
recorded at Bali-Ngemba Forest
Reserve near Bamenda (new locality),
where Green-throated Sunhirds
Cbalcomita ruhescens of the
distinctive race crossensis (lacking the
green throat) were also present (RD&
KYX) White-winged Black Tit Parus
leucomelas. White-collared Starling
Grafisia torquata and Black-faced
Firefinch Lagonosticta larvata were
observed at Mayo Louti in January;
these apparently constitute the
northernmost records for these species
in Cameroon (ML). Two Yellow -
mantled Weavers Ploceus tricolor
were seen in Korup NP on 19 March;
this is a rare bird in the park (SB). A
Yellow -capped Weaver P.
ilorsonuicidatns seen well at Mt Kupe
on 25 February appears to be the first
record of this species north of the
Sanaga River (IN). At least ten
Grosbeak Weavers Aniblvospiza
alhifivns were around Nyasoso on 25-
2 » March; this rainy season visitor is
normally present at Mt Kupe between
mid-lune and late October (SB).
During a survey of the newly
established Mham and Djerem
National Park in central Cameroon, in
March 2000. 365 species were
recorded, among which the following
were the most noteworthy. Spot-
breasted Ibis Host rye hid ram was
found in the south. An adult Ovampo
Sparrowhawk Accipiter orampensB
was seen over savanna on 13th (only
one previous record in Louette's
checklist of 1981 ), and a Common
Bu/./.ard Buteo huteo on 10th and an
Ayres's Hawk Eagle Hicraactus
avrvsii on 9th Two latham’s Forest
Francolins Pmncolinns lathami on
Itiih at the forest savanna border, at
Os 'Os'N 12°52 T, constitute a very
northerly record. A pair of Brown-
chested lapwings Yatwllus
superciliosus was defending a territory
near the Djerem River. Six Afep
Pigeons < olumha unicincta were far
north of the range mapped in Louette
1 1981 ), whereas Bruce’s Green
Pigeons Treron waalia were the
southernmost found in the country.
Three Yellow throated Cuckoos
( ./ > n sococc i ’.v flavigula ris were tape-
recorded in gallery forest in the
forest -savanna mosaic; curiously, this
species was not found in the larger
primary forest block in the south of the
park. Black Bee-eater M crops gu laris
was frequent; one was seen excavating
a nesting burrow. Black Dwarf
Hornhill Tockus hartlauhi was found
in primary forest, while Red-billed
Dwarf Hornhill 7 camurus was
common in gallery forest. African
Broadbills Smitbornis capensis were
encountered on three occasions in
gallery forest. A roost of over 5,000
Barn Swallows Hirundu rustica was
discovered in the north of the park.
European Sand Martins Riparia
riparia and Common House Martins
Delicbon urbica were regularly seen
over the Djerem River, often in the
company of Preuss’s Cliff Swallows
Hirundo preussi. Black-eared Ground
Recent Reports
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2 -145
Thrush Zoothera camaronensis was
recorded in the south. Purple-
throated Cuckoo-shrike
Campephaga quiscalina and Red-
tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus rufus
were relatively common in gallery
forest, but apparently absent from
primary forest. Also in gallery forest.
Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha
natalensis, Yellow-throated Apalis
Apalis flauida and Bamenda Apalis A
bamendae appeared not uncommon.
A Black-necked (Red-cheeked)
Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia ( Missel ti >
chalybea was tape-recorded in
primary forest. White-collared
Starling Grafisia torquata appeared
common throughout the forest-
savanna mosaic, with c20 seen daily
(ML & EW).
Canary Islands
During November 1999 to March 2000
the following species were reported. A
male American Wigeon Anas
americana . a male Green-winged
Teal Anas ( crecca ) carolinensis and a
female Lesser Scaup Aythya affims
were on Tenerife from November, the
former two species until at least the
first week of March, the latter until at
least late February. Three Ring-
necked Ducks Aythya collaris were
on Tenerife and one on La Gomera in
November, with two females in
Tenerife remaining until at least late
February. Three Marbled Duck
Marmaronetta angustirostris were at
Embalse de Los Molinos,
Fuerteventura, from 25 February
through March (TO. Two Ruddy
Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea were at
the same site in November (HP), with
five there from 25 February through
March. Three Common Cranes Grits
grus reported from Fuerteventura in
December-January would constitute
the first record for the archipelago, if
accepted (TC). Two Marsh
Sandpipers Tringa stagnatilis were
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
by Mark Andrews
observed at Barranco de la Torre,
Fuerteventura, on 14 November. Two
Ring-hilled Gulls Larus delauarenn \
were found on Fuerteventura on 15—16
November (HP), while an Iceland
Gull L. glaucoides was recorded <>n
Tenerife. The first Grey Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis for the Canary
Islands was discovered at La Mareta.
Tenerife, on 1 November ( TC). A
Tristram's Warbler Sylria desert it (da
and an Orphean Warbler S horteme
were found at Embalse de la Penitav
Fuerteventura, on 17 November (HP).
A strong dust storm, combined with
easterly winds, which started on 24
February' and continued into March,
brought many migrants, especially to
Fuerteventura. including a Black
Stork 1
Torre from 27 February to at least 6
March, a White Stork ( t u <>nia. t\\< >
Black Kites
adult Slender-billed Gulls Lams
genei at Playa Barca on 4 March, a
Little sw iit
Black-eared Whea tears ( kmanthe
hispanica. four Desert Wheatears O.
desert i. four Orphean Warblers and
hundreds of Subalpinc Warblers n
cant ilia ns (TO.
Cape Verde Islands
Three female Ring-necked Ducks
Aythya collaris at Ribeira da Madama.
Sal, on 16-18 November 1999.
constituted the first record for the
archipelago (per Dutch Birding 22:
39).
A male Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magniflcens over Branco, on
9 March 2000. is possibly the first
record for the island. At Mindelo
sewage farm. Sao Vicente, the
following noteworthy species were
recorded on 12 March: two Cape
Verde Kites Milvus m ileus
fasciicauda , a female Common
(Green-winged?) Teal Anas crecca
(fifth record for the archipelago), a
male Blue-winged Teal A. discors
(first record), two Red Knots Calidris
canutus (fifth record), a
Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris
pusilla (second record), a Least
Sandpiper C. minutilla (second
record), two Spotted Redshanks
Tringa erythropus (seventh record),
and tw o Common Snipes Gallinago
gallinago (sixth record). The next day,
at Rabil Lagoon, Boa vista, a first- winter
Lesser Yellow legs Tringa flavipes
(second record) and a Plain Sw ift
Apus unicolor (first record) wrere seen
(MBn & TC).
Egypt
I \\ White-fronted Geese In - r
alhifr and a Ruddy shelduck
World 13 1*» \ White-tailed
i apwing
Northern Gannets
Namaqua i >«>\ es
\swan) >n 1 • >t h . t\\ Dupont's I.arks
F.l Dab'a on 30th. tlmv African Pied
w agtaib
Simbel on »tli. a Red-rumped
w hcatear
Omayyad Biosphere Reserve (on the
north coast) on 30th. three Fieldfares
Turdus pilaris and a Redw ing 7
Hiatus at Sidi Alxlu Rahman on 31st. a
Desert Warbler Sylria nana at Bir
Nakhala, c200 km west of Abu Simbel.
on 2M ( HBD s/ & A’// per Birding
World 13: 56) and eight Desert
Finches Rbodospiza obsolete at Gabel
Mughara on 12th (MBD per Birding
World 13: 14). Tw o Western
Sandpipers ( 'alidris maun reportedly
trapped, on 30-3 1st, at Zaranik. would
be the country's first record if accepted
(per Dutch Birding 22: 40).
In February 2000. species reported
from Abu Simbel included a Black-
shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus on
13th. a Purple Swamphen Porphyria
poiphyrio on 14th (both new for the
area), and three White-tailed
Lapwings Vanellus leucurus on 14th
(w ith 18 more at El Abassa, Nile delta,
on 24th), and three African Pied
Wagtails Motacilla aguimp. tw o Pied
Wheatears Oenanthe pleschanka and
at least four Cyprus Wheatears 0.
146 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Recent Reports
Dunn's Larks
Ethiopia
( ommon Shclduck
I ur.isi.in
Griffon \ ulture \ps Julius p.i\n\
>n 2; Ik- V lon){ k'KKctl
Buzzard Rule > m/inus anti an adul
(■olden Fault- 1 ntla cbn^nt
Greater Spotted I aglc I
\lahlbergs Fault- I //«<'- /'* f\t .u
w *
Greater Spoiled Fault- At (in hi danga
hy Mark Andrew s
Gabon
Twi > (full -hilled Term Ge/<>< heluhot
mint u a at Akanda. near Libreville, on
2 April 2000 constitute only ihe (hire!
report from Gabon; previous sightings
were at the same site. Single* s) of
Brazza s Martin
Pheilitui hrazzae were seen in the
Leconi area on 6-7 April. Future
visitors should endeavour to confirm
this record; the species is unrecorded
from Gabon, but is know n from the
Bateke plateau in neighbouring Congo
( FDL . RJD & LF)
The Gambia
Records from late 1999 include the
follow ing. A Bat Hawk
Macbeirampbus ale in us was seen
mobbing a Black Kite Milvus migrans
on the nonhem bank of the Gambia
River, opposite Tendaba Camp, on la
i Vc ember < (/< ) > Tw Arctic Terns
Sterna ptiniilistieti, a rare and
probably under- recorded species in
The Gambia, were identified in the
tern roost behind Bacchus restaurant
on 1 November. Approximately 12
U hite-nimped Sw ift Aplis ca '<. r
were living around a small village in
Central River Div ision on 3 November.
Excellent views of a male and tw o
Black faced Fire finches
Logout tslicla Ian ala rinacea w ere
obtained at Kafuta on 2 November
\ An Ortolan Bunting Fml\riza
bortnlana found at Tendaba on IS
November appears to lx- the third
record for the country (CR)
Cote d’Ivoire
During a visit in Januaiy-February
2000 the following records were made.
kfirk in i bh i agle
Hahaeetus tx/cifer was at l auraco
Camp. Guinxiiou. on l>-lt> February-
< assin’s Hawk Fagles s [ cactus
qfHcamu were seen over Yapo Forest,
where it is rare (two adults and an
immature). Mt Nienok<xit\ Tai
National Park (a pair) and Mt Tonkoui
\ IV rv grille Falcon iaU < -
penynnus flew over the docks at San
Pedro on 20 February. At least two
Huff spotted Flufftail.s Samthnira
deguns were calling at dusk near the
summit of Mt Tonkoui on 1 1 February
Ki el Knot
Cal ul ns eanulus was at Grand
Bassam; there are few records of this
< ommon
Cuckoo ( /i ulus cantons was
watched on Mt Nienokouc. Two
apparently ternion.il male Yellow-
throated Cuckoos Clvysococi v.x
flacigularis displayed at Guiroutou on
2H January; the display involved
pressing the fxxly low down onto the
branch and stretching the head and
neck vertically up. thus exposing the
yellow throat to full advantage, while
calling vigorously. An owl flushed in
daylight at Dabou, in forest by the
Agnebi River, on 4 February, was
alm< >st ( ertainly a Rufous Fishing
Owl Scotopelict ussheri. An individual
of the rare Blue-headed Bee-eater
Merops muelleri was seen in Tai NP.
Also in Tai. Spotted Honeyguide
Indicator maculatus and Willcocks’s
Honeyguide /. willcocksi were found
in the Hana River area. Approximately
five Ethiopian Swallows llirundo
aethiopica were at Adiopodoume on
25 January and at least 20 at Grand
Bassam on 5 February. Olivaceous
Flycatcher Muscicapa olirascens was
seen at Mt Nienokouc. Lead-coloured
Fly catcher (=Grey Tit-Flycatcher)
Mvioparus pi tint belts at Guiroutou.
and Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher
. . . s nitens at both sites rwo
Bates's Sunbirds Cinnvhs bates i were
identified on Mt Tonkoui (new
locality V Three Long-tailed Glossy-
Starlings Lampivtornis caudatus
were at kafolo and two between
kafolo and Ferkessedougou; there are
few previous records. Four Yellow-
winged Pytilias Pytilia
I\y(h gram mica were seen in Comoe
NP and at least IS in Marahoue NP;
this species appears to have been
overlooked at the latter site, A male
Black bellied Seedcracker Pyrcnesles
ostrinus, a species not listed by
Dowsett ( 1993), was seen well at
Grand Bassam. \ female Pale-fronted
Ncgrofinch Xigrita luteifivns was
observed at Ml Nienokouc (all XII).
Kenya
Noteworthy records from late 1998
include the following. A pair of
Abyssinian Ground Hornbills
in wi abyssinU us w ith one young
was seen at Sigor, kapenguria, on 18
September. \ pair ol Pygmy Sunbirds
Hedydipna platura, the male in full
breeding plumage, w .is at Shaba ( iame
Reserv e on 12 September. Waller’s
starling onychognathus walleri was
rept irted fr< >m Nguruman Esc arpment
on 1 1 December. On the same day,
Sharpe’s Starling Cinnirycinclus
sharpii, one of the less common
forest-canopy starlings, was seen at
Nguruman Escarpment (Cp.
In 1999, the following species were
reported. Three juvenile Greater
Frigate-birds Fregata minor flew c3
km offshore from Malindi on 24
November (DR). An adult White-
tailed Tropicbird FbacHbon lep turns
Blue-headed Bee-eater Merops
muelleri by Mark Andrews
Recent Reports
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -147
with full tail streamers was watched
10-15 km offshore from Watamu on 7
January; this species is apparently
seen more regularly than often
suggested, but is rarely reported. A
Swallow-tailed Kite Chelictinia
riocourii was at Meru National hark on
21 February; the species is less
common on this side of Mt Kenya.
Two Sooty Falcons Falco concolor
flew over the Nakuru-Naivasha road,
near Lake Elementaita, on 10 April. A
Blue Quail Cotumix chinensis was
flushed twice from rough marshy
ground, in a coffee estate west of
Thika, on 2 January; this is now a rare
species and a significant record close
to Nairobi. A Common Crane Grus
grus was near Eldoret over the World
Birdwatch 1999 weekend, on 3-4
October ( CJ ). An Abyssinian
Scimitarbill Phoenicians minor was
noticed at Silversand, south of Malindi,
on 27 November (DR). A Lead-
coloured Flycatcher (=Grey
Tit-Flycatcher) Myioparus plumbeus
was observed at Marich Pass Field
Study Centre, Cherangani Mts, on 5
April, the first report from this site.
Shelley’s Starling Lamprotomis
shelleyi was present in the Malindi
Watamu area in February-April (CJ).
For January— April 2000, the
following records were received. Two
Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus
were in the Shimba Hills, on 1-2 April;
these would have been migrant F. p.
calidus , which are not commonly
reported. A Hottentot Teal Anas
hottentota was on Lake Jilore on 29
January; this is a new record for the
area and possibly the coast. Two
Purple Swamphen Porphryio
porphryio were at Lake Chemchem, a
seasonal lake just north of Arabuko-
Sokoke Forest, on 30 January; this
species does not normally occur at the
coast, although one was seen on
Arabuko Swamp a year ago: the first
record there. Also at Lake Chemchem
was a male Greater Painted Snipe
Rostratula benghalensis. A Lesser
Jacana Microparra capensis was on a
seasonal pool, in Arabuko-Sokoke
Forest, on 29 March, and another near
Thika, on 3 April. An adult male
Kentish Plover Charadrius
alexandrinus was observed at Mida
Creek on 15 January; this species is
only infrequently recorded in Kenya,
mostly at Lake Turkana. A Pacific
Golden Plover Pluvialis (dominicus)
fulva was with Grey Plovers P.
squatarola at the Sabaki River mouth,
Malindi, on 30 January; this is a rare
migrant that is not recorded annually
Two first-year Black-headed GulLs
Larus ridihundus were on Lake Jilore.
west of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.
Watamu, on 29 January; this is an
uncommon species in the coastal
region. A Pallid Honeyguide
Indicator meliphilns was found beside
Lake Chemchem on 30 January; a new
site for this rare species. Also there
were two singing Sedge Warblers
Acrocephalus scboenobaenus, migrant
warblers are not common along the
coast. An Icterine Warbler Hippolats
icterina was found in Nairobi NP, on
27 February', and another at Melepo
Hills. Kajiado. on 29th. A Wood
Warbler PhylloSi ibilatrix was
observed in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest
on 15 February, and another in Nairobi
NP on 27th: this species is a rare
Palearctic migrant (CJ).
Species recorded in Meru National
Park on 4-5 March 2000 included: an
adult Western Banded Snake Fagle
Circaetus cinerascens (rare east of the
Rift ). Dusky Caprimulgus fraenatus
European C. europaeus. Donaldson
Smith's C. donaldsom Plain (.
inomatus and Slender-tailed
Nightjars C clams on the road.
White-eared Barbet Stactolaema
leucotis (a local and uncommon
species, with a small isolated
population around Meru). Grey-olive
G ree n b u 1 Phy 'Hast n>pb i is
cerviniventris (only recently
rediscovered in the Mem area). Ashy
Fly catcher Muscicapa caerulescens
(first recorded in October 1999 in the
park, but not previously known from
this region). The discovery of Black-
headed Batis Bat is minor in this area
marks a considerable range extension
(CJ).
Madagascar
A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris
acuminata was claimed from Toliara
on 9 November 1999; if confirmed, this
would constitute the first for the
country (RP).
A pair of Madagascar Serpent
Eagles Eutiiorchis astur was relocated
in Masoala Peninsula, exactly where
the species was discovered in 1993, on
15—16 October 1999. Both birds came
to a tape-recording of the song. Pairs
of Madagascar Wood Rails
Canirallus kioloides were seen several
times at close range: the Masoala
population is entirely bright chestnut
on the back and could represent an
undescribed race. Several pairs of
Bernier’s Vanga Oriolia bernieri were
Masoala than in the west White-
throated Oxylabes Oxylabi^
not uncommon in Masoala Red-tailed
v w tonia
at Andohahela National Park, hut
Baraus Petrel
March Flesh-footed Shearwaters
Lesser ( rested Terns
It Masked Booby
record for Madagascar, and the first
from the coast. A White-tailed
Tropicbird Pbaetbon lepturus. .it Fort
Dauphin during the same period, was
well out of range; the species is
relatively common around Nosy Be
and the northern tip of Madagascar,
but has never previously been
recorded in the south. It attempted to
enter a hole in the roof of a building,
was captured and subsequently died.
At Morondava on 5 May. an estimated
5.500 Lesser Crested Tern and cl20
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia flew
north in three hours. All the Caspian
Terns and possibly 50% of the Lesser
Crested Terns were in breeding
plumage. The latter were possibly
moving north to breeding grounds in
the Arabian Gulf (all FH).
Madeira
A first-w inter Iceland Gull Larus
glaucoides was in Funchal Harbour on
2~-2 9 November 1999 1 WO per
Birding World 12: 479).
Malawi
A juvenile Long-legged Buzzard
Buteo mfinus seen on 3 December
1999 over the Malawi Hills, in the
extreme south, is a potential first for
the country. Since the arrival of the
148 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Recent Reports
f : - > iridic Spur- winged Lapwing
Vanettus spmostts in Liwonde Natk
Park in 1993— at the time an
Lapwing
Blacksmith
VI bite-crowned Lapwings
Vt.MHl
Sandpipers Fnn-^u ^lun- i .u i.ik<
Ka/uni i Ywaza marsh) was notable
1 i k k' : ; Scarce Swifts
Moi
Jam
Mali
include i Western Reef Egret
V t r o. .in 1 1< >l)h\
more than " Montagu's Harriers
Circus pygargus left (heir roost on
IHth \ Violet Turaco Musophugu
luUau'o arnl a Yellow bellied Hyliota
Hyiiota flatigaster seen at Pah. SO km
west of Bankas*. may constitute these
species northemn* >m records. Some
Red-winged Starlings
Onycbognatbus morio were found at
the Grottes de Missinkoro, Sikavso, on
2"th f our Common WaxbilLs
EstriUla astnld were encountered at
Disoru, south of Loulouni. in the
extreme south-east; this species was
formerly only known from the Boude
du Baoule Biosphere Reserve (all ASe
& AMD
Morocco
Three males and a female White-
headed Duck ( Kxyura leucocepbala
were still at Douyiet on at least 20 and
28 September 1999. A juvenile Dark
Chanting Goshawk Me tier ax
metabates was 26 km east of Olad
Berhil on 30 September, while a
subadult Tawny Eagle 1 quila rapax
was cl8 km east of Taroudant on 12
September (per Dutch Birding 21:
284-286). In January 2000, 67
Northern Bald Ibises Geronticus
eremita were counted at Tamri. on 1st.
and an adult and a first-winter
Common Gull Lams cunus w ere
recorded on Oued Sous on 6th ( Ml
per Bulling World 13: l-D
Senegal
\ t k . . White Storks ( iconia
ciconia circled over Reserve de Faune
du Ndiael on 8 November 1999; this is
a high count as numbers in northern
Senegal ha\e declined drastically since
the I‘Hxk w hen gatherings of several
thousand could lx- seen IXB).
Seychelles
\ Eleonora's Falcon Pule
Eurasian Hobby
m 20 NovemlxT to 8
Sooty
Falcon Falco
concolor on 30 New
ember, and a
Jacobin ( uckoo <
ut It pints jaa >bin us
on 2<> November si
mall numbers of
European Rollers
la he and Praslin in
possibly all) of
tr birds. On Malic,
Reef Hotel Golf
Club, on i-r Nove
mber, two al
Grand Ansc Agnail
tural Station, on
16-30 November, and one was found
dead at Providence, on 27 November.
On Praslin. two were present at the
|)e> i ml* i \ Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus imebilus at the Research
Station, Aldabra. from 17 February to
H March 2000, was the third for
Seychelles An adult female ringtail
harrier at Hassin Cabri, Picard, was not
seen well enough to confirm its
Pallid Harrier
Montagu 8
Harrier Circus pygargus. neither of
which have been recorded from
Seychelles (all AS).
Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae
by Craig Robson
Crab Plover Dramas ardeold
by Craig Robson
South Africa
I'lie first Slender-billed Gull Laras
genei for the country, an adult in
breeding plumage, was discovered in
Durban Bay on 10 September 1999
* / ) i pet Africa Birds& Birding i (5):
17).
In December 1999. an immature
Ayres’s Haw k Eagle Hieraaetus
aytvsii flew over the forest at Ndumo
Game Reserve on 20th, while a
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo was
seen over open scrub. A Crab Plover
Dramas ardeala was found in the
.Maputoland Coastal Forest Reserve at
Rocki.nl Bay, on 1.3th. A Lesser Sand
Plover Charadrius mongolus was
feeding with several Greater Sand
Plovers ( . leschenaultii at Bayside
Nature Reserve, Durban, on 23rd. Two
adult non-breeding Sabine’s Gulls
Larus subin i were present at Umgini
River mouth, Durban, on 26th,
following stormy weather. An African
Scops Owl oil is (scops) senegalensis
was flushed in Maputoland Coastal
Forest Reserve on 14th. Olive-tree
Warblers Hippolais olivetorum were
found in Acacia scrub in Kruger
National Park, on 5th, near the
Shingwedzi River, and on 8th near
Olifants River. A male Woodward’s
Batis Balls fratrum was seen in
Ndumo Game Reserve on 20th (SC).
Tanzania
Records from late 1999, from Zanzibar,
which appear noteworthy in view of
the species’ status in the island’s
checklist (Pakenham 1979) include
four Long-tailed Cormorants
Phalacrocorax africanus on the west
coast on 31 October, four Sanderling
Calidris alba at Jambiani on 3-4
November, and three Marsh
Sandpipers Tringa stagnatilis at
Jambiani on 3 November. House
Sparrows Passer domesticus are no
Recent Reports
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2- 149
W hill*
Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
by Mark Andrews
longer confined to Zanzibar town, but
also breed at the airport and Jambiani.
In the southern part of the island no
Pied Crows Corvus dibits , formerly
abundant throughout, were seen,
while House Crows Corvus splenclcus
were present in every village and town
( DW ).
Interesting records from 1999, from
Serengeti National Park, include the
following. The first Broad-billed
Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus for the
park was at Lake Ndutu on 20 July. In
the Western Corridor, 35 Lesser
Black-winged Lapwings (Senegal
Plover) Vanellus lugubris were seen
on 13 December. Pangani Longclaws
Macronyx aurantiigula were noted on
27 April, and 18 and 30 May, south of
Seronera, and on 23 August at Gol
Kopjes. A Grey-olive Greenbul
Phyllastrephus c'erviniventris was
feeding young at Grumeti River on 1
August. Moustached Grass-Warbler
Melocichla mentalis was recorded on
28-29 July and 28 August in the north
of the park. Three Lynes’s (Wailing)
Cisticolas Cisticola lais distinctus
were singing at Lobo Hills on 14
December. Karamoja Apalis Apalis
karamojae was seen in Seronera in
May and at Tagora Plains on 7
September ( TG ).
In February 2000, the following
species were reported from northern
Tanzania. A Black Stork Ciconia
nigra flew over Lerai forest,
Ngorongoro Crater, on 11th. A Shikra
Accipiter badius was seen near Lobo
Lodge, northern Serengeti, on 15th. A
Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula
benghalensis was at a small roadside
pool between Lobo Lodge and
Bologonja springs, Serengeti NP, on
14th. An African Snipe Gallinago
nigripennis was at Hippo pool,
Ngorongoro Crater, on 10th, and
another near Seronera River. Serengeti
NP. on 17th. A Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckii was seen in
Tarangire NP on 8th, with a second at
the Hippo pool, Ngorongoro Crater,
on 10th, and a third near Seronera.
Serengeti NP. on 16th o/.B). A Blue-
headed Coucal ( tropus mom
was seen in a small papyrus swamp at
Speke Bay, near Speke Bay Lodge,
Lake Victoria, on 29 February :
according to Zimmerman el cil ( 19%).
this species had not been recorded in
Tanzania since January 1886 ( TG, 77 ’ &
LW). Three White-throated Bee-
eaters Merops dibit olli
Lobo Lodge and Bologonja springs.
Serengeti NP, on 14th (EG per ZIP A
Whinchat Sax ten! a nibetra was at
Lobo, Serengeti NP. on 13th. and
another, distinguishable by its different
plumage, there the next day. An
Icterine W arbler Hippolais icterina
was in full song at Lobo Lodge.
Serengeti NP. on 14th. Also there were
a Tree Pipit Ambus triiialis and a
male Yellow-mantled W idowbird
Euplectes macron rus in breeding
plumage on 13th. At least four House
Sparrows Posset dt tint re in
the grounds of Cultural Heritage at
Arusha. One of the five ftrefinches in
the grounds of Like Manyara Hotel on
19th was identified as a male
Jameson's Firefinch Ligonosticta
rhodopareia ; Zimmerman el al ( 1 996 )
do not mention the species for the
area (ZB).
Tunisia
In 1999, a dark morph Western Reef
Egret Egretta gularis stayed at the
Tyna saltpans, near Sfax, from July to
at least early October ( per Dutch
Birding 21: 286). Totals of 4,260
Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta
angustirostris , the largest number ever
recorded in Tunisia, and 250
Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca
were counted at Barrage Oued El
Khaff (also known as Barrage Oued El
Hjar) on the Cap Bon peninsula on 7
October (per Dutch Birding 21: 353:
WO per Birding World 12: 479). A
flock of 110 Lesser Crested Terns
Sterna bengalensis wTas at Sebkha Sidi
Garous on 1 October (per Dutch
Birding 21: 290).
Zambia
Highlights from July to December 1999
include the following. In July, four
non-breeding White Storks Ciconia
ciconia and a rather late Great
Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
storks Utli .
imm.itur Palm-nut Vultures
Simungoma area Bure hell's
Sandgrou.se Plenties hurchi
W hite-bellied Bustard Eup -
scnegalensis and Slaty Egret
Tit-babblers Pansoma stdxaentU
Black fat cd \\ axbills
enihrmi : and Scaly-feathered
Finches y * sauamito •>/>
's I .i i \ I grets
well as ]<’_ Black Herons Igix’tla
ardesidta. * • '* ~ Glossy Ibises
PI egad is falcinellus. 2.‘xxi White-
faced Whistling Ducks Demi' na
riduala 2 2 so Egyptian Geese
Spur
winged (»eese Pleclropients
gamln-nsts. “1" knob-hilled Ducks
Red
billed Feal
W attled Cranes Bugeranus
canmculalus. \. H Collared
Pratincoles Glannla prat incola.
1.210 kittlitz s Plovers Charadriu:
pectunius. 2.322 Blacksmith
lapwings Vanellus annatus and 3
African Skimmers Kynchops
flavimstris.
In mid-August, a Pied Avocet
Recurviwstra arosetta w as almost
certainly sitting on eggs in Western
Province; there are no confirmed
breeding records for Zambia. Several
unseasonal Blue Quails Coturnix
chinensis were on the Luena Flats and
on the Zambezi floodplain, near
Simungoma. were 21 Slaty Egrets
Egretta rinaceigula. 50+ BurchelTs
Wattled Crane Grus carunculatus
by Mark Andrews
150 -Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2
Recent Reports
Sandgrouse / i .invl
K< il i \ ed Hulbu I
nigncan> IV if h Red capped Robin
( hats nataleusis and
Yellow throated I ongelaw s
Thick billed (uckoo
Terek Sandpiper
Greater Striped swallow thro:
Zambia *> third Chestnut banded
Plover Charadnus nallulus w.i> f
Kori
Bustard*
Ruddv Turnstone
slaty Egret
Red
throated Cliff Swallow s
Village
Indigobird
Copper Sunbird C innyrts cupreus
A rei ord <>t i Northern Carmine Bee-
eater Merops ( n.) nuhicus seen
among Southern Carmine Bee-eaters
Merops in.) nubicoidi’s is unconfirmed
and a potential first for the country.
In October. .1 Slaty Egret Egretta
vinaceigula was seen regularly in
Livingstone, continuing a marvellous
year for this species. The same locality
produced a Baird’s Sandpiper
Calidris bciirdii, an astonishing first for
the country Scaly- feathered Finches
Sporopipes squamifrons were also
found in the Livingstone area for the
first time. In Lochinvar NP, on 30th,
there were 15-20,000 African
Openbill Storks Anastomus
lamelligerus , many thousands of ducks
c aspian
Movers - etts
Black-tailed Godwits Dmosii limosa.
21 Ruddy Turnstones and six Pacific
Golden Plovers E! 11 rial is uiominiens )
Julia. In the Luangwa \ alley
Whimbrel \ 11 men ins pbaeopus and
Sanderling < 'alidris alha were seen
on ll>th and a Pied Avocet on 31st. A
wandering Pink-backed Pelican
Peltxanns rufescens was seen on
several occasions, and in the same
area was a Mallard \*ias
platyrbyncbos of unknown origin.
In November, a significant number
of localised species was seen in
Muinilunga. including Bannernian’s
Sunbird . ’nthi I kin nerman 1 .
Afep Pigeon <luml'a unicincla and
Dambo ( -Black tailed) Cisticola
1 i im \ Black-collared
Bulbul \e<>lcsh‘s tori/uatus was
irTying ' and Angola larks
Mirafra angolensis were singing. Both
Buff-spotted Sarotbrura ekgans and
White-spotted FlufftaiL* s pulcbra
Parasitic Weavers
Anomaluspiza imhcrhis and Is. (MM)
Barn Swallows Hiruinlo rustled
In D -ml 1. Scaly -throated
lloneyguides Indicator rariegatus
were seen on at least two occasions in
the Luangwa Valley. On the shores of
Lik- Tanganyika 1 Spur-winged
lapwing l a noil us spinas us was found
on 9th and was later joined by a
second bird; these represent the first
tor Zambia Near Mbala, on 1 1th,
1 1 Eurasian Marsh Harriers
( ommoii Snipe
(iallinago guilt nag o and a pair of
Baglafecht Weavers Ploceus
baglqfecbt were found, the latter
representing a significant range
extension in the country. Also there
.'i i gn tup 1 'i at least six White-
throated Bee-eaters Merops albicollis
K
Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus
aeruginosus by Mark Andrews
representing another national first.
Around Chozi. a station on the
TAZARA line, vast numbers of
Palearctie migrants were found,
apparently attracted to the floodlights.
Particularly abundant were Common
Whitethroat Sylvia communis and
Sedge Warbler Acrocepbalus
seboenobaenus. An ascent of the
Mafinga Mountains produced records
of Yellow -throated Woodland
Warbler Pbylloscopus ruficapilla .
Placid (Cabanis's) Greenbuf
Pbyllastrvpbus (cabanisi) placid ns.
Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla and
Silvery-cheeked Hornbills
(. eratogvmna hreris. Finally, a Black
Tern < blidonias niger among White-
winged Black Terns ( . loncopterns
on l ake Mweru Wantipa would be
another addition to the national list if
confirmed (all per PL).
Records were collated by Ron Demey
from contributions supplied by David
Allan (DA), Cary Allport/ Bird Life
International (GA), Mindy Baba El
Din <MBD). Mark Beaman Birdquest
( MBm. A.nl libatia C/.B). Mark Bolton
1 MB). Nik Borwu Birdquest (NB).
Chris Bradshaw (CB), Stephen
Cameron (SC). Rolf Christensen (RC),
Tony Clarke Canarian Nature Tours
<TC). Dirk Colin (DC). Ron Demey
(Rl)). Robert /. Dowsett (RJD),
Eram’oise Doirsetl-Lemaire (FDL),
Stephen Eccles (SE). Contain Elias
(CIA. Lincoln Fishpool (LF), Thomas
Cottschalk (TC). Elmar Guthmann
(EC). Frank Hawkins (EH), Robert
II indie (RID. Colin Jackson (Cj), Serge
Bobo Kadiri/Cameroon IBA Project
( SBK). Marc Languy/Cameroon IBA
Project (ML), Peter Leonard (PL),
Anders Magnusson (AM), Bob
Media nd CBM), Arne Mailer (AMr),
Kerin Yana Njabo/ Cameroon IBA
Project (KYN), William Oliver (WO),
Gerard Ouweneel (GO), Richard
Patient (RP), Henning Pedersen (HP),
Kris de Rouck (KdR), Detlef Robel
(DR), Valery Scbollaeri CVS), Adrian
Skerrett (AS), Hans Slabbekoorn (ITS),
Anette Sonne (ASe), Magnus Ullman/
AviEauna (MU), Thomas Ullrich CTU),
D. Warden CDW), Lars Wellmann
(LW), Eddie Williams CEW) and from
Birding World, Dutch Birding and
Africa — Birds & Birding.
Contributions for Recent Reports can
be sent to Ron Demey, Van der
Heimstraat 52, 2582 SB Den Haag, The
Netherlands and also by e-mail:
lO6706.603@compuserve.com. Cfj
Recent Reports
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 -151
Reviews
Mammals of Madagascar
Nick Garbutt. 1999. 320 pp, 57 colour
and 12 black and white plates, numerous
line drawings and distribution maps. Pica
Press, The Banks, NrRobertsbridge, East
Sussex TN32 5JY. UK£30.
While serving as a showcase for the
considerable photographic and artistic
talents of its author, this book provides
a fair overview of current knowledge
on the mammals of Madagascar, with
additional information on the island's
biogeography, protected areas and
their conservation.
The five indigenous mammalian
orders occurring on Madagascar are
treated in the species accounts (with
subspecies treatment for the lemurs),
which are subdivided into the
following sections: measurements,
description, distribution and
behaviour. Where possible,
(principally for the lemurs), sections
on identification, habitat, population,
threats and viewing are included.
Distribution maps are presented for
each species with delineation or
separate maps to show the range of
lemur subspecies. Attempts have been
made to approximate species’ actual
ranges by combining distribution data
with those available for forest cover.
Though the book is not a field
guide, the identification sections and
descriptions are sufficient for most
species that can safely be
distinguished in the field. In addition,
the excellent colour photographs,
which comprise the overwhelming
majority of the plates, provide a useful
reference. Difficult groups such as
bats, small mammals and nocturnal
lemurs present an identification
challenge which is not fully met by
this book, but it is not an identification
manual.
The distribution sections and maps
are reasonably good and the
uncertainty concerning many species/
subspecies is ample illustration of the
need for further work to be
undertaken and/or published.
However, uncertainty seems to have
led to frequent speculation in the
literature. Garbutt repeats references
to a possible hybrid zone between
Eulemur fulvus fulvus and E. f.
albifrons which has persisted as a
result of the fact that their range limits
are unclear, thus may overlap and, if
so, the two forms may hybridise. On
this premise he goes on to stale that
‘conclusive identification in this zone
is, therefore, difficult' and refers to
animals observed in the Zahamena
Nature Reserve as appearing to
resemble the nominate race. While it is
only prudent to counsel caution in
such circumstances, no evidence of
hybridisation is cited and animals
resembling both forms have been
observed in the Zahamena Nature
Reserve. Local reports even suggest
not only that both occur, but are
separated (E.f. fulvus to the west and
E.f albifrons in the east) by a large
river in the north-east comer of the
reserve.
Whilst necessarily brief the behaviour
sections are clear and present useful
information such as activity patterns,
group sizes, diet etc. Many species,
particularly non-primates, are poorly
known and thus detailed information
is often not available.
Where included, the sections on
habitat, population and threats are
useful, and again highlight the need
for further research. It is disturbing to
find how little is known about the
population status of many species,
subspecies and the threats facing
them.
The sections on viewing are a very
good idea, recommending localities
for particular species and giving brief
details of sites, the need for guides etc.
A subsection under Conservation and
Protected Areas lists Top Mammal-
watching Sites giving brief details of
access, facilities etc.
A delicately executed and splendid
collection of line drawings adds to the
superb photographs, and quality
reproduction, to make this a very
attractive book. The text is well
written, concise and more than
adequate for the general visitor/
natural historian. For the more serious
researcher, the Mammals of
Madagascar represents the first
synthesis of available literature on the
subject and as such will prove
passing interest in the island's
mammals.
Tim Marlou
Directory of Important Bird Areas in
Egypt
S. M. Baha el Din. 1999. 113 pp. several
maps and line drawings. Bird Life
International & Palm Press. 34 ElMansour
Muhammad Street, Zamalek, Cairo
11211. ISBN 977-5089-25-5. No price
given.
This is a valuable addition to the
growing number of individual country
Important Bird Area (IBA) listings.
Introductory chapters detail the
rationale, objectives, selection and
categorisation of Important Bird Areas
in general, describe the Egyptian
avifauna and bird habitats, examines
problems and challenges facing
conservationists in the country , and
presents an overv iew and guide to the
data presented in the site list. Thirty -
four IBAs are described under the
following headings: Protection Status.
Description, Importance for Birds.
Importance for Other Species, and
Significant Conservation Issues.
Coordinates, the area's size, relevant
governorate and criteria under which
152 -Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2
Reviews
the sue qualifies as an IBA. along with
a location map. are also included.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, most sites are
either wetlands, coastal sites, islands
or raptor watchpotnts. Appendices
include a short glossary, gazetteer and
list of English and scientific names of
species included in the text, while a
reference list completes the work. In
addition to conservationists and
planners, at whom the book is
specifically addressed, birdwatchers
and ornithologists visiting Egy pt, given
the current lack of a detailed site
guide, are also recommended to study
this valuable addition to the country 's
avifauna! canon. Much headway has
been made in Egyptian ornithological
studies in recent years, capitalising on
Goodman & Meiningers superb status
and distribution guide published in
1989. although one suspects that,
given the lack of work in several
poorly visited parts of the country .
surprise^ still await more adventurous
birders
Swifts. A Guide to the Swifts and
Treeswifts of the World
P Chantler and G Drwssens 2000 272
pp, 24 colour plates, several line drawings
and % distribution maps Pica Press.
The Banks. Nr Robertsbridge. East
Sussex TN32 5JY ISBN 1-873403-83-6
UK£28
Second, revised and updated edition
of a guide that first appeared in IW,
and was reviewed by Don Turner in
Bull ABC 3 34-35.
Guv M Kirn on
Les zones dimportance pour la
conservation des oiseaux a
Madagascar
Projet ZICOMA 1999. 266pp. many maps.
In French with English abstract. Projet
ZICOMA. BP 1074. Antananarivo 101.
Madagascar. Price to be announced.
This book is a contribution to the
Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Africa
programme coordinated by BirdLife
International Following succinct and
informative introductory chapters, 8 »
I B As are described, based on a v ery
thorough literature search and a
programme of field work by the
ZICOMA team, which appears to have
left few stones unturned. For many
areas, this btx>k provides the first
published documentation. The site
accounts are supplemented by land-
cover maps produced by the most
recent national survey programme* —
the Invenlaire Ecologique Forest ier
National — which cover the
surroundings of the I BAs as well as the
sites themselves. This book is one of
the most important publications on
conservation in Madagascar, with a
mass of information that will lx* of
great value even to non-ornithologists.
All those interested in biodiversity
conservation in Madagascar require
this fxxik Any birder considering
going off the beaten track will find
dozens of ideas in the text and maps.
The compilers and project staff
deserve enormous congratulations for
their thorough and timely work.
Arrangements for the sale of the book
have not y et been finalised; in the
meantime, requests may be sent to the
project office in Antananarivo.
Roger Safford
Birds in the Gaborone area and
where to find them
S. J. Tyler and W. D. Borello. Illustrations
byJ. VinerandM. Lane-Jones. 1998. 100
pp. 32 colour photographs and several
line and colour drawings. Botswana Bird
Club. P 0 Box 71. Gaborone. Botswana.
P75. Also available from African Bird
Club Sales for UK£12 including post &
packing.
This nicely produced site guide and
checklist w ill prove an invaluable
addition to the 'armoury' of any birder
planning to visit Botswana. Four
hundred and thirty species are covered
in the detailed checklist (30 pages, or
half of the guide), while other chapters
detail the vegetation, geography,
geology, climate and habitat changes
within the study area, as well as
providing references, a gazetteer,
directions to profitable birdwatching
locales and a explanation of the map
references used in the guide. Visiting
birders may appreciate more detailed
maps of the area in any forthcoming
editions, but this is a largely
exemplary introduction to the avifauna
of a relatively small area. Well done
Stephanie and Wendy! p
Guy M. Kirwan
Letters
Rare birds, new species, trips
abroad and hoodwinks
It is a well-known phenomenon that
some holidaymakers from northern
Europe tend to behave in rather
uncharacteristic ways when visiting
certain Mediterranean resorts. Lads
and ladettes' throw caution to the
wind, and all-night clubbing, drink,
recreational drugs and casual sex
replace the normal behaviour of bank
clerks, insurance salesmen and
checkout operators.
There appears to be a parallel with
some birders on foreign trips. Rarities,
new species — usually unidentified —
and birds well out of their normal
range and habitats are found with
ease. At home one would hesitate to
make such claims without
considerable supporting evidence —
photographs, detailed descriptions,
field sketches, multiple observers
etc — but abroad standards are lowered
and records find their way into print in
journals and trip reports, with the
inevitable result that they insidiously
creep into more authoritative works
and become ‘accepted’.
In 1949 the late M F M Meiklejohn
documented ‘The Hoodwink’ in the
Isle of May Bird Observatory log. He
also noted that Hoodwinks had been
Revieu's
Bull ABC Vo! 7 No 2- 153
around for some considerable time, as
H Gatke encountered them on
Heligoland in the mid- 1800s. Strangely
these mystery birds always fell into the
sea upon being shot and were
consequently lost to science. I suspect
that Hoodwinks still occur in many
parts of Africa and have a tendency to
reveal tantalising glimpses to
observers visiting an area for the first
time. Gnarled old Africa hands also
encounter Hoodwinks on rare
occasions, but tend to keep quiet
about these sightings for fear of
ridicule from their peers.
There is no doubt that advances in
field identification, modern optical and
audio equipment, better field guides
and a greater number of observers
have all played a part in making
genuine new discoveries. Rarities do
exist but are by definition rare. New
species await discovery but are likely
to occur in isolated, under-watched or
unexplored localities, rather than on
standard birding circuits followed by
most birders in the country they
happen to be visiting.
There are exceptions of course.
The recent discovery of Cryptic
Warbler Cryptosylvicola
randrianasoloi at a well-watched
locality in Madagascar was
remarkable. However, this small,
nondescript canopy-dwelling species
was first located through its
vocalisation by an observer whose
ability to distinguish bird sounds is
legendary and in a class of his own.
Generally, a dollop of common sense
would suggest that early collectors and
hundreds of subsequent observers
were not staggeringly incompetent in
failing to notice rarities or mystery
birds, and the possibility of a
Hoodwink should be considered.
In recent years Ethiopia has
become the in-vogue place to discover
rarities, new species and extraordinary
range extensions. In Bull. ABC 7: 56
an unidentified green turaco is
‘documented’ from an area of montane
forest that is neither particularly
remote nor little visited. The locality
and habitat is not biogeographically
isolated, so is unlikely to hold a relict
population. The locality is c700 miles
outside the known range of ‘similar
species’ and turacos are not noted for
their vagrancy. Unlike Kenya, which
has six species of Tauraco, Ethiopia is
impoverished with only two species,
one of which Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco
Tauraco ruspolii is a restricted-range
endemic, the other, White-cheeked
Turaco T. leucotis is widespread
throughout highland forests and small
patches of natural woodland, and is
not uncommon in forests from Bale to
Sodere. The form donaldsoni from
south-central Ethiopia may be a
distinct species, while those of the
nominate form, between Arussi and
Wadera, are greener above and have a
smaller or even vestigial white neck
patch. Turacos are large, noisy,
relatively conspicuous birds, which are
unlikely to be overlooked, although
they can be difficult to observe at
times and frequently give poor views.
In several months of field work,
the experienced compilers of the
Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia
(Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History
Society 1996) failed to find any new
species for science, or even discover a
new species for Ethiopia.
I urge all birders visiting new or
unfamiliar areas to exercise caution
and restraint when confronted by an
‘unusual' bird. Consider such
possibilities as immature or atypical
plumage, the effects of strong light or
deep shadows, check the habitat
preferences and altitudinal range of
similar species and above all. try to
apply the same standards as if one
discovered a rarity in one's own
country.
Iain Robertson , Laurelbank.
Exnaboe, Virkie, Shetland
ZE3 9JS, UK.
Use of laser pointers in the field
Omifolks took a trip to Brazil in 1998
and a participant brought a small laser
pointer. We played around with it.
amazing the locals. It wasn't until the
trip was completed that I seriously
considered a real use for this tool. I
purchased a pen-size laser pointer,
and brought it to Madagascar in
October 1999 just as an experiment.
In Madagascar, I loaned it to the
native guides, who immediately ■
became proficient in using the laser
pointer to locate forest birds for the
group in the understorey; it proved
especially good for skulkers. With this
implement a guide simply projects the
red laser beam onto the subject,
making it easy for everyone to locate
and view. The laser affected individual
birds quite differently. Crossley’s
Babbler Mystacomis crossleyi chased
the red dot along the ground. A
Madagascar Buttonquail Turnix
nigrocollis ran from it. A Madagascar
Nightjar Caprimulgus
madagascariensis pecked at it when it
was projected upon its wing. Most
species, including Mesites
(Mesitornilhidae) and Ground Rollers
(Brachypteraciidae) just ignored it
The advantages of this tool are that
members of a tour group can be
shown a species in a relatively short
period of lime, even to those who may
otherwise have a difficult time spotting
it. It precludes the disturbance created
by a group crashing through the forest.
The guides were astonished at how
well they worked: each guide asked us
to send him one. They definitely
recognised the advantages after
spending precious time through the
years putting persons on difficult
birds.
The best laser pointers for field
work are those which are pen-sized
and take AAA batteries: the smaller
ones lake the fiat watch-type batteries
which are not readily available in
many countries.
G. Michael Elieg. Omifolks. 6 803
Nashville Avenue. St. Louis. MO
63139. USA.
Ben Obanda— a local bird guide
in Kakamega, Kenya
I have been leading birding tours in
Africa over many years and w'as
recently in Kenya, where I spent
several days with my group in the
Kakamega region in the west of the
country. This has always been a
hotspot for birders, holding many
special species associated with West
and Central African tropical forests,
which are found now here else in the
country. Many of these specialities
typically occur at low densities in
forest undergrowth or high in the
canopy, and can be difficult to find
and identify. I was pleased to meet
Ben Obanda, a young Kenyan taking
an active interest in birds and
conservation. His local conservation
group (KABICOTA — Kakamega
Biodiversity Conservation and Tour
Operator Association) has been
receiving small amounts of funding
from ABC for education programmes
in Kakamega, and he is keen to make
a career of his passion for birding. I
hired him as a local guide for three
days (very reasonable rates) and was
impressed by his knowledge of the
local birds — most importantly the rarer
species, their vocalisations and where
to find them. He is enthusiastic, speaks
good English, understands what
birders want from their brief visits to
the area and puts a lot of effort into
‘delivering the goods’. If you plan to
154 -Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
Letters
visit the Kakamega region. I can
thoroughly recommend hiring Ben
Obanda — sound, up-to-date local
knowledge goes a long way in
creating short-cuts to find those
difficult, sought-after Kakamega
specialities. He can be contacted c o
PO Box 2153. Kakamega. Kenya; tel
0331 30268; fax; 0331 20 las
Peter Roberts, Caberfeulb Bungalow,
Bruicbladdicb. Islay.
Argyll PA49 7 t'V. Scotland.
Misidentified photograph
The photo of the raptor in Bull ABC 7:
71 was labelled Steppe Fagle Aquila
( rapax ) nipalensis. but it is actually a
juvenile Gymnogene or African Harrier
Hawk Polyboroides typus. The hawk in
the photo has six fingers" on the
wingtips. a more slender head and
neck, relatively shorter wings, and
wider, shorter tail with sides that taper
toward the tip. Steppe Eagles have
fingers on the wingtips. a thicker
neck and head, have relatively longer
wings, and straight sides to the tail
(see photographs). Further, the hawk
in question lacks the broad white band
on the underwings shown by all
immature Steppe Eagles.
U . S. Clark. 7800 Dassett Court . Apt.
101. Ananndale . \ A 22003. I SA.
A possible new taxon of rock
thrush— a correction
Girl Jones has brought to our attention
a correction to his note, co-authored
by Kirsty J. Swinnerton. A possible
new taxon of rock thrush Monticola
sp. from the limestone karst region of
western Madagascar, in Bull. ABC 7:
52-5-t. Reference no. 3 was incorrectly
cited, it should read:
Middleton, G. 1996. The 1995
Australo-Anglo-Malagasy Speleo-
Omitho-Malacological Expedition
Tsingy de Bemaraha, western
Madagascar. J. Sydney Speleological
Soc. -tO (9): l-tl-158. J)
The Editors. African Bird Club ,
c o Birdlife International
Wellbrook Court. Girton Road,
Cambridge CB3 ONA, UK
ipalensis Oman (left) and third-w inter, India ( right ). Immature Steppe
Eagle almost always has 1 pale band on the linden* ing ( greater coverts), seven fingers’ on the wingtip, and a broad head
and ne< k I hey have relatively longer wings than juvenile Gymnogene Polyboroides typus and straight tail sides
(W.S Clark)
Figures 3-4. Juvenile Gymnogene Polyboroides typus-. Senegal, March 1982 (left) and The Gambia (right). Juvenile
Gymnogene has six ‘fingers’ on the wingtip, a rather narrow head and neck, and lacks a broad pale band on the underwing.
The tail sides taper inward near the tip and the wings are relatively shorter than Steppe Eagle Aquila (rapax) nipalensis
(W.S. Clark)
Letters
Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2 - 155
0/
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safaris/freelance guide - «
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BIRDING TOURS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
*[/ Tailormade birding tours for individuals or groups • also pelagic tours •
t photographic- and wildlife safaris • scenic tours/camping safaris of Namibia
* and Southern Africa • all ground arrangements taken care of • contact Neil
g/ for further information and quotations on specified tours and itineranes
156 - Bull ABC Vol 7 No 2
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Notes for contributors
Style
Authors are asked to follow the conventions used in The
Bulletin of the African Bird Club and to refer to a recent issue
for guidance
dates 23 September 1993 (note the order, no comma, not
23rd).
names of birds: use the vernacular name for birds, followed
bv the scientific name. viz While-necked Raven Conus
albtcolhs • w ith hyphen, no comma, no parentheses, no author's
name ). Underline f< >r italics if you submit typed or handwritten
copy, but please format w ith italics if you submit your contri-
bution on disk with accompanying hard copy. Onlv the first
• generic) name should have an initial capital. Fnglish names
of birds and other animals require initial capitals except after
a hyphen (eg White-headed Vulture, Black-Kicked Jackal),
but for gnnip names use lower case for initial letter (eg
bustards, trow si Both Fnglish or French and scientific names
should be given w hen the species is first mentioned, thereaf-
ter only one name, preferably the Fnglish or French, should lv
used.
units: use metru units with the following abbreviations
length ( mm. cm. m. km); area ( nr. ha), mass • mg. g. kg), time
(s, min. hr. day. month, year). Time of day should lx* given in
the 24*hour clock form (eg 06.30 hr). Speed (m s. km hr). The
time system used should lx* the zonal time closest to solar
time Except at the beginning of a sentence or w hen ten or
fewer, numbers should he given as numerals, not spelled out.
All fractions should lx* decimalised and written as numerals,
punctuation: lull points (• full stop, period) should lx*
omitted from well-known initials, such as Aik! and also from
eg . ic . and etaf l)o not include a full point after each initial
of person s name, except in the Reference’s and Acknowledge-
ments. Quotation marks, if used, should lx* single , not
“double".
references: these should be indicated in the text by super-
script Arabic numbers corresponding to the numbers in the
reference list For example confirming earlier work'1
‘Lack it Webb1' stated that. . or eg Salford et til'' . Reference
lists should lx* in alphabetical order and appear at the end of
the paper or short communication, following the format
below:
• lily nameis) followed by a c< >mma, then initials,
each followed by a full point
• names < >f public alii ms sin hi Id be given in full < >r fi >r j< >umal
titles, abbreviated according to the »lh edition ( I960) of the
World List of Scientific Periodicals and supplementary lists
published subsequently by the British Union Catalogue of
Periodicals (if in doubt, give title in full), and underlined for
italics in typescript.
• titles of papers should be given in the original language
unless this uses a non-Roman alphabet, in which case an
English translation of the title should be used, in square
parentheses.
• bo< »ks . i tier auth< >Ks), year of publicatit >n and title, give t he
town followed by the publisher.
eg for a journal:
Safford, R.J., Duckworth. J.W.. Evans, M.I., Telfer, M.G..
Timmins. R.J. and Zewdie, C. 1993 The birds of Nechisar
National Ethiopia. Scopus 16: 61-80.
eg for a chapter in a book:
Kroodsma. D.E. and Baylis, J.R. 1982. A world survey of
ev idence for vocal learning in birds. In Kroodsma, D.E. and
Miller. F.H. (eds) Acoustic Communication in Birds , Vol 2:
311-33" New York: Academic Press,
eg for a book:
Praed ( w and Grant, C.H.B 1973 Tbt lirds
W est and Central Africa. Yol 2. London: Longman.
Information that has been privately communicated to you
should be referred to in the text as eg (A B Halliday pers
comm) and must not be listed in the references.
PhD theses that are under a publication embargo, or otherwise
unavailable for general reference, may not be quoted in the
text. References should be made either as Halliday (.unpub-
lished)' if it is Halliday s own work, or as Halliday (pers
comm)' if information is being quoted by another author.
Verity references before submitting your paper and check the
typescript and proofs carefully for errors in the references. If
\ou refer to a paper that you have not actually seen, you
should indicate where you have seen it quoted by adding as
much at the end ot the reference in the list, eg (quoted by -t).
tables: e.u h table should be prepared on a separate piece of
paper, and be thoroughly checked, l se ‘O’ for a zero reading,
for a missing value. Titles of tables should be self-explana-
t« tv Figure legends and table headers will be given in French
and English.
diagrams.- should be clearly drawn in ink without shading.
black and white photographs and line illustrations
should not be larger than \ i ( 297x2 10 mm). Line illustrations
''hi >iikl be i mi gt n >d quality white paper or board, or on tracing
aterial. lettering should preferably be marked lightly in
peiu il \ 1 1 illustrations should have the author's names and
figure numbers t learly marked on the back. Where there is
any doubt, the uppet margin of the illustration should be
indicated.
Proofs
of majoi papers will be sent proofs for immediate
return rhe Editorial ream reserves the right to amend articles
without reference to the author(s).
Reprints
\uili('is ol major articles, who are not members of the ABC,
w ill automatically receive one copy of the Bulletin of the ABC
free «•( charge Contributors who are members will receive a
request Extra copies will be charged at a >st, and
must be ordered when the manuscript is accepted.
Reviews
Copies of new journals, books or reports for mention or
re\ iew are always welcome. Contribute >ns < >r enquiries should
be sent to The Bulletin Editor.
Photographs and artwork
Photographers and artists, by giving permission for their
photographs artwork to be used in the Bulletin of the ABC,
also give permission for their use on the ABC Web pages.
Deadlines
The Bulletin of the African Bird Club is published twice per
year on 1 March ( with a deadline of 1 October) and 1 September
(deadline 1 April).
Editorial address
All contributions and correspondence should be sent to: The
Bulletin Editor, African Bird Club, c/o BirdLife International,
Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 ONA, UK. /
The views expressed by contributors to this bulletin are not
necessarily those of the Editorial Team, the Council of the
African Bird Club or its committees.
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